


Green Doe Eyes

by Snowy38



Category: Harry Styles - Fandom, Larry Stylinson - Fandom, Louis Tomlinson - Fandom, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Children, Doctor!Louis, Fawn!Harry, Frightened Harry, Harry is maternal, Hybrid Harry, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Louis likes fur, M/M, Niece/Nephew, No major violence, Protective Louis, Some scenes with blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-03
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-11 13:08:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 51,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5627716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowy38/pseuds/Snowy38
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Can I fix you?" Louis asked as Harry looked over at him, eyes wet and red, tip of his nose pink and cute. He licked his plush lips and nodded.</p><p>Louis let out a thankful sigh and reached for Harry's hand, ignoring the way Harry flinched when they touched.</p><p>He stripped off the useless bandage and winced at the re-opened wounds. He noticed the blood under Harry's fingernails and realised he'd scratched at them until they bled.</p><p>"Harry..." He whispered, tears coming to his own eyes as he felt Harry tremble under his touch, eyes averted shamefully as he swallowed his tears away determinedly. "No, don't be scared, it's okay," Louis assured. "I'm not going to judge you...I just need to protect you," he explained.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

Doctor Louis Tomlinson was working the graveyard shift in ER when the hybrid was brought in.

 

He was familiar with half breeds in his line of work and had studied to include medical care for these rare races. He'd had to go to vetinary school for the summer since conventional medicine didn't exactly cover half animals. 

 

He'd treated a kitten once and a strange looking beagle but they had been minor injuries - a broken foot from jumping out of a tree and a cut ear from a friendly wrestling match.

 

He was in shock to receive a hybrid in the state this one clearly was- soaked in blood and barely alive.

 

"Fuck, where will we get blood?" He hissed to his intern, Zayn.

 

"Let's get him tested he might be human, " he suggested to which Louis nodded and a pin prick determined the hybrid was B negative. 

 

Louis ordered the spare bags of blood with a sharp tone as the hybrid was wheeled towards an examination room and Louis couldn't quite tell his origin.

 

He had ears...and the curliest hair dark which was beautiful if not soaked with matted blood. He could be a foal Louis decided. A foal with his head bashed in.

 

He swallowed, feeling sick; feeling oddly protective.  The boy on this trolley looked no older than eighteen,  pale and vulnerable.  Who the hell would feel the need to bash his head in?

Louis startled as Zayn's hand squeezed his shoulder.

 

"Worry about him later," he suggested. "Snap into doc mode," he added knowingly.

 

Louis flicked him a cool look with his blue grey eyes and managed a grim smile.

 

"Let's clean him up?" He ordered, pulling on gloves to lead the charge. 

 

//

 

The foal didn't have a name yet.

 

Zayn had nick-named him Bambi due to the freckles on his cheeks and the cute ears tufting out of his (now clean) hair. Louis had been horrified as they'd uncovered his injuries. 

 

He had two deep circles cut into his scalp which had been hell to stitch with all that hair but Louis had managed with getting Zayn to trim around the injury site so as not to leave too much trauma. Apart from a huge dressing to protect those sites until the stitches came out. 

 

And if those weren't serious and mystifying enough then the cuts across his wrists had been. Louis hated having harmers in, hated the thought of anyone being hurt let alone deliberately. 

 

His core beliefs were all about healing people, caring for them. Seeing people hurting themselves was always hard.  He sat with the foal for three days in his breaks even though he was still under sedation.

 

Hybrids were typically jumpy characters sometimes emotional and flighty due to their animal instincts.  Louis needed his foal calm and asleep right now until the deep scarring cuts had healed a little at least.

 

He'd asked around for his story but nobody knew what happened.  A betting ring set up for odds on the story until Louis shut it down with a stony glare and a whole lot of expletives. 

 

Louis did ask Zayn one quiet morning before Louis went into the private room to wean off the sedative.

 

"What do you think happened?"

 

Zayn shrugged. 

 

"Quite often hybrids get bought and sold as slaves. Mostly for sex- some kind if bestiality fantasy," he explained.  "Could have been his way of escaping..." He suggested. 

 

Louis tensed at the suggestion that his foal was a slave but he tried to remind himself that the foal was not in fact _his_ at all and it was none of his business what happened. 

 

Only it kind of was because Louis couldn't sign release papers without being reassured his foal had somewhere safe to. Not _his_ foal.   _The_ foal.

 

He pushed into the room with a long and telling sigh.

 

"Let's see if you know your name," he mused as he entered the room.

 

//

 

 

Louis sat and sank his fingers into his conker-brown hair, the long fringe and short back giving him a boyish look even though the fringe part was mostly flat during work hours and the rest of the time a carefully styled mess.

 

He waited for the sedative to wear off slowly, reducing it a little at a time. He knew better than to bring the hybrid around quickly, it would only cause a spike in adrenaline and scare him to wake up confused and alone.

 

No, Louis had to be patient. He re-dressed the wrist injuries with a frown, the head injuries with a badly-disguised hurt in his deep blue eyes. The ward nurse had noticed his tendency to dote on his special patient since Louis as an ER doctor wasn't actually expected to come onto the wards at all during his shift.

 

But Louis had insisted on this one case. He wouldn't let anyone else near the hybrid and he began to wonder why. A gurgle from the bed told him the boy was waking and he stood up from the visitor's chair, shifting back by the window while his patient tried to force open his no-doubt heavy-feeling lids.

 

Fear struck across his features as soon as his eyes were open and recognised a male in the room and Louis was quick to soften his voice.

 

"Don't panic, you're safe now, okay?" He coaxed as the foal scrabbled backwards in the bed, pressing himself into the metal bars of the head-board.

 

He sighed, biting his lip.

 

"Please don't be afraid," he begged again, noting the way the ears of the hybrid flattened backwards, a sign of outright fear.

 

"I'm not going to hurt you," he put his hands forward gently, showcasing their lack of weapon. "I'm a doctor and I'm helping you get better..."

 

Louis frowned as the boy started to formulate signs with his hands, spelling out letters. V.E.T.

 

Louis sucked in air.

 

"No! God, no, I'm not a vet," he offered. "I'm a doctor..."

 

The foal looked fearful, green eyes pinpointed with black pupils and normally Louis would wonder on those almost abnormally large irises, never seeing that before in a hybrid. Normally, he would. But right now his hybrid was hyperventilating.

 

"Shh...easy," he hummed. "Breathe slower now, hm?"

 

The hybrid had wide eyes jammed open as he dragged in shallow breaths and Louis begged from his insides for him to calm down. His chest ached with it, his stomach cramped up.

 

_Please. Please breathe for me. I won't hurt you. I promise._

 

The boy began to breathe more slowly, his body relaxing subtly away from the bars.

 

"What's your name?" Louis asked gently.

 

The boy formed letters with his fingers again.

 

  1. A. P. P. Y.



 

"Happy?" Louis made a disbelieving face at that.

 

The boy shook his head, curling one finger over instead of trying to use both hands to form a capital letter.

 

"R?" Louis guessed and the boy nodded, ears slowly lifting from his head, cautiously like he was listening for sounds of attack.

 

"Oh!" Louis suddenly breathed out, the glimpse of a smile forming on his lips. "Harry," he adjusted, rubbing his scruffy jaw with a hand. "I should have got that, sorry..."

 

Harry stared at him, breaths shallow and fast but much better. Louis leaned back on the window sill to reinforce his non-threat status.

 

"How does your head feel?" He asked.

 

Harry dipped his chin, blushing. Louis knew then that Harry hadn't been the sole cause of his own injuries. He was mortified.

 

"What are you, anyway?" Louis mused softly. "I thought a foal but Zayn calls you Bambi..."

 

Harry looked up, an unreadable expression on his face.

 

"Bambi?" Louis guessed and Harry nodded with a swallow. "Wow," Louis tilted his head. "You're really beautiful..."

 

He shook himself out of his unguarded moment, straightening up with a sigh which made Harry flinch from his small movement. Louis regarded him a moment.

 

"I'd really like you to stay here until all of your stitches are out," Louis posed then.

 

Harry bit at his lip.

 

"Is there someone...that we should um-"

 

Harry's vicious shake of his head told Louis his injuries definitely weren't all his own doing.

 

"Harry, did somebody hurt you?" Louis asked outright.

 

Harry stared at him again with those strangely large eyes, uniquely attractive with his straight nose, bowed lips, curly lashes and thick hair interrupted by two ears and a bandage.

 

His ears were still low, shaking a little with fear. He shook his head in reply to Louis' question but Louis knew it was a lie.

 

"We can't protect you if we don't know who we're protecting you from..." He ventured and Harry's eyes darted up fast and terror was painted in them. He choked a little on his gasp.

 

"Alright, okay, I'll get security to send a guy up," Louis quickly promised.

 

Harry frowned at him and tilted his head as if to ask, _why not you_?

 

Louis edged toward the door.

 

"Food comes round at five I'll make sure I'm back by then and that nobody else comes in, okay?" He checked turning toward the door only to turn back to catch Harry's agreement.

 

Harry nodded once in reply.

 

//

 

When Louis came back at five, there was a commotion surrounding Harry's room.

 

He frowned, stalking towards the crowd of nurses outside the door, pushing through them to step inside only to find Harry on the floor backed up in a corner, the security guard leaning over him reaching for his arms to pin him down.

 

"No!" Louis snapped, his chest filling with air as he sucked in a breath and it came out hot and angry. "Get away from him!" he commanded, turning to the crowd in the doorway. "I'm sure you all have work to be doing elsewhere," he added.

 

The nurses scattered leaving Louis and the security man.

 

"Liam, what happened?" Louis beseeched. "I thought I told you not to come in here?"

 

Liam turned from the cowering, shaking and crying hybrid and stood straight, coming toward Louis.

 

"He ripped off his wrist bandages and he was bleeding..." Liam explained.

 

Louis sighed, flicking him a squinted look as he pressed his lips together.

 

"Why didn't you call me?" He asked tersely.

 

"I asked the nurse to but they were too fascinated by his ears," Liam mused softly with an eye-roll.

 

Louis began to calm down as the other man's warm brown eyes soothed him. He knew Liam pretty well since they had worked in this hospital together for nearly five years and he believed the words he was saying. His eyes flicked past his wide shoulders to the corner where Harry was still curled, shivering since he was naked apart from boxers. His wrist bandages were hanging ripped from his arms and his eyes were wide with panic.

 

Louis nodded at his friend.

 

"Thanks for your help Liam," he appreciated gently, keeping the tone in the room calm even if Harry was in terror-mode already.

 

Liam saluted and took his position up by the door outside, leaving Louis to venture carefully into the room.

 

"Harry? It's me, Louis," Louis called softly, rounding the bed. He crouched when he reached the end of the bed, about six feet from where Harry curled his arms around his legs; eyes stretched open and frozen into place staring.

 

"They've all gone, okay?" Louis put his hands out in surrender, one knee to the floor, one bent up. "It's just me now...you know I won't hurt you, right?"

 

Harry's breath hitched and he eyed Louis fearfully while Louis tried to assess the damage to his wrists.

 

"I need to see your cuts, Harry," Louis said. "I want to stop you hurting," he added.

 

And Harry's olive eyes darted to his, big and distrusting but the fact he was listening was a start. Louis kept his gaze to prove his trust.

 

"I just want you to stop hurting," he added softly.

 

And it was the kind of thing he would maybe say to a child who was particularly scared- one who had been hit or abused. When dealing with adults he tended to be more pragmatic and state the facts to persuade his patient to be treated but something about Harry inspired a very paternal feeling in him. Or more than that; since paternal feelings didn't usually include thinking how handsome a fawn-boy could look half-destroyed.

 

Harry moved. His arms released his legs and he tapped his lips.

 

Louis smiled.

 

"You can't speak?" He guessed and Harry nodded. "It's okay...we'll find a way," he assured.

 

Harry frowned, eyes dropping to his knees and tears appeared at the edges of his eyes, plopping down with slow insistence to his bare thighs. Louis felt his heart squeeze painfully in his chest, desperate to crawl across the floor and take the frightened fawn into his arms and from the way his ears were pricked up, flicking, Louis knew he wasn't completely afraid anymore, he was just sad. Sad and so hurt.

 

"Hey," Louis soothed with his silky husky voice. "Can I come closer?"

 

Harry kept sobbing quietly, bare arms wrapping around his naked torso and if Louis had a mind to, he'd notice his lovely muscular limbs and the way his chest and body were soft and pale and defined all in one. He'd notice the way his thick brown hair fell against his neck and artfully waved across the crown of his head. He'd notice the curl in his lashes and the way his body tremored slightly, always in fear.

 

Louis slid onto his knees, shuffling closer with a soft hum to notify Harry of his movement. Harry was still crying, still broken. Louis didn't touch him as he shuffled up close.

 

"I want to hold you," Louis admitted quietly as he came close.

 

Harry shook his head and buried his face into his knees, sobs now wracking his form. Louis watched with a broken heart, sliding onto his hip to get comfortable beside him.

 

"Can I least see your wrists?" Louis husked, leaning his back against the wall beside Harry.

 

Harry's hands were plastered to his face, between his knees where he hid himself and Louis went about finding a dressing gown to drape gently around his shoulders, pulling down a blanket to cover Harry's lovely long legs.

 

"It's okay," Louis soothed the best he could in a low, quiet hum. "You're safe now..."

 

Harry pressed the back of his hands harshly into his eyes, gasping breaths as if trying to huff out words. Words of warning. Louis could sense his apprehension, could feel the impending inevitability of Harry's reason for being here arriving right here in this hospital. Louis was in no doubt that somebody had hurt him and that Harry's attempt at self-harm was to escape his fate. If he really was being kept against his will then it had to be an awful existence to feel the need to escape from it by killing himself.

 

Harry's sobs eased off as Louis sat by him, breathing steady and voice warm as he murmured things, reassuring things, funny things about his day, annoying things about his sisters. He told Harry about Liam, about his intern Zayn.

 

Harry slowly began to regain his slightly pink colour, his breathing relaxing in increments as his panic died down.

 

"Can I fix you?" Louis asked as Harry looked over at him, eyes wet and red, tip of his nose pink and cute. He licked his plush lips and nodded.

 

Louis let out a thankful sigh and reached for Harry's hand, ignoring the way Harry flinched when they touched.

 

He stripped off the useless bandage and winced at the re-opened wounds. He noticed the blood under Harry's fingernails and realised he'd scratched at them until they bled.

 

"Harry..." He whispered, tears coming to his own eyes as he felt Harry tremble under his touch, eyes averted shamefully as he swallowed his tears away determinedly. "No, don't be scared, it's okay," Louis assured. "I'm not going to judge you...I just need to protect you," he explained.

 

Harry looked at him confusedly and Louis could quite understand why, these weren't the words of a health professional at all but those of a man who was starting to care far too much about a weak little fawn boy in this hospital room.

 

"Can you get back on the bed?" Louis asked. "I need to clean you up..."

 

Harry unfurled from his defensive position and sat on the edge of the bed as Louis fetched wipes and new dressings quickly from the cupboards in the room. He stood in front of Harry and the fawn-boy's head lifted to watch him. Louis smirked.

 

"You're actually taller than me," Louis noted. "Even sitting down I'm almost your height..."

 

And Harry stared blinking until something incredible happened. His lips moved, just a notch and the edges pulled up to signal a ghost of a smile. Louis thought maybe he'd imagined it because it was so slight but still, his own lips stretched into a grin at the encouragement it gave him.

 

"I won't be long," he promised, cleaning Harry's blood-stained hands gently now the boy had given himself up to Louis' touch. His ears were pricked though, listening for any sign of danger and Louis couldn't help but study those cute little ears atop his head, mixed in with curls.

 

He o'd his lips and blew out cool air through them, hitting the edge of one, making it flick reflexively and bringing Harry's gaze back up in wonder.

 

Louis cleared his throat and blushed a little.

 

"Sorry," he hummed embarrassedly. "I just-uh...I guess I was curious..."

 

Harry flicked his ear and Louis caught the gesture, smiling softly.

 

"Nice," he murmured. "Your ears are really nice..."

 

Harry ducked his chin shyly, ears turning backwards listening for noise outside and Louis realised there was a nurse out there, chatting to Liam.

 

"It's probably Sophia," he explained as he re-wound the bandages around Harry's wrists. "She's forever flirting with Li...I expect he'll ask her out before long."

 

Louis was startled when Harry pointed a long finger at him and Louis frowned at first, taking a moment to understand.

 

"Me?" He questioned, realising what Harry was getting at. "Oh! No, I don't flirt with nurses," he mused.

 

Harry frowned, tilting his head as if to ask _'why?'_.

 

Louis smirked.

 

"I'm into guys," he added smoothly, brow arching. "Hope that doesn't freak you out too much..."

 

Harry stared, unblinking. Louis taped up his last bandage with a little sigh, pressing his thumb gently into his wrist.

 

"Please don't take them off?" He begged.

 

Harry swallowed, looking to his lap. His blanket was re-draped over his legs and he'd slipped his arms into the dressing gown to keep warm.

 

A knock sounded on the door, bringing Louis' gaze over his shoulder.

 

"Dr. Tomlinson? You're needed in ER, sir..." A nurse called through the door.

 

Louis looked back to Harry.

 

"Try and sleep?" He asked.

 

Harry curled up on the bed, pulling the blanket over himself as he laid his head in the pillow, his fawn ears alert until Louis left the room.

 

//

 

Liam called Louis when a man came into the hospital asking after a fawn, claiming to be its owner and telling a story about how he'd lost his pet.

 

Liam gave Louis the run-down before Louis joined the man who'd been restricted to his office. He slipped into the room, the man rising from the visitor's chair as Louis moved forward to shake his hand, taking a look into a pair of cold, grey eyes. He wasn't that tall but was stocky and looked pretty aggrieved when Louis stared him down.

 

"I'm here for my fawn," the man announced gruffly. His name was Ben Grisholme Liam had advised.

 

Louis cleared his throat delicately, taking a seat on the other side of his desk.

 

"We had a hybrid admitted two nights ago," Louis began gently. "And his injuries are of some concern."

 

Ben squinted, looking offended.

 

"Are you trying to suggest I had something to do with that?" He snapped.

 

Louis lifted his brows. If Ben's aggressiveness was anything to go by, he was more than suggesting it.

 

"It's not our job to cast accusations," Louis opted for objectivity. "But Harry is not yet well enough to be discharged..."

 

"He cut his horns off himself," Ben cast then, sharply. "Ugly little stumps they were, guess he finally saw that and wanted rid..."

 

Louis found it very hard to swallow the bile in his throat. He had no idea that Harry's circular wounds were as a result of something being removed. Something natural. And as far as he could remember, fawns didn't have _horns_. They had antlers. His breath was stuck in his lungs as he tried to imagine two antlers next to Harry's little fawn ears. He blinked at the man in front of him, more worried than before about Harry's safety.

 

"Harry won't be released unless we can guarantee his safety," Louis added for good measure.

 

"He was in a zoo before," Ben scoffed. "You think that was better? Being stared at all day?"

 

Louis looked at the man passively.

 

"Harry is harming himself and we have a duty to care for him," Louis stated.

 

Ben rolled his eyes with a sneer.

 

"Yeah, he hates being an animal. Doesn't know his place, yet, always trying to be human..."

 

Louis' insides lurched and his fingers flexed, wanting to punch out this obscenity of a man. _He **is** human_ , he wanted to argue, but he could see it would be useless to even try.

 

"We can't release Harry into your care, sir," Louis finished up the meeting with the cold, hard truth.

 

Ben glared.

 

"He's a pet. He should be at the vets, anyway," he snarled. "You've no right to keep him from me, he belongs to me..."

 

Ben stood up, leaning on Louis' desk belligerently.

 

Louis stood too, cool and calm and what he lacked in height and bulk he more than made up for in steel. He hadn't worked five years in ER to be pushed around by an idiot with an authority complex.

 

"As far as this hospital in concerned Harry is an individual who has some very complex injuries and as I have said before, he's not ready to be released." Louis hard-lined.

 

Ben blinked at him, eyes dark and angry.

 

"Fine. But when he is ready to be released, he's mine, okay? Hybrids are a rare breed and I paid twenty grand for him."

 

Louis lifted his brows, considering that.

 

"We'll call you when he's ready," he offered lightly.

 

Secretly, Louis was already hatching a plan in his head. One that nobody else needed to know about except for maybe Liam because if Louis was going down then he'd need his security friend to act as a back-up.

 

When Louis finally got Ben out of his office, he headed straight to Harry's room only to find the boy darting away from the window as if he had been watching the goings-on outside on the busy ward.

 

Harry's fawn ears pressed down and he dipped his chin, hands folded together in front of him.

 

"Hey," Louis greeted, stepping into the room with a flick of his head, pushing his chin up.

 

Harry stayed very still, chin lowering even further as Louis came closer to him.

 

"Hey, don't be scared, pretty," Louis soothed, careful not to touch as he put his hands out as a sign of safety.

 

Harry lifted his chin just a little, big green eyes doe-like. Louis wondered if this was a defence tactic, a way of disarming predators. His ears flicked attractively and Louis paused, lips parting.

 

"Wow..." he awed, tilting his head slightly. His eyes ran over the bandages covering the open wounds on top of Harry's scalp and he again wondered how he would look with antlers growing there. It surprised him that he wanted to find out.

 

Harry pouted, moving his hands behind his back to become more submissive, both ears flicking cutely now as if to persuade Louis not to hurt him. Louis smiled at him bemusedly.

 

"Harry, are you playing?" He wondered then. "Are you playing cute with me?"

 

Harry looked wide-eyed to the window and back, as if to intimate Louis should be angry at Harry for peering out.

 

"Oh! You think you're in trouble," Louis nodded in understanding and Harry had that little curl on his lips again, too tiny to hardly tell but Louis saw it anyway.

 

"You're not in trouble," Louis assured. "How's your bandages?"

 

Harry offered forth his wrists again, turning them over so Louis could se they were safely wrapped still.

 

"That's great Harry," Louis breathed out in relief. "That's amazing, just keep them there?"

 

Harry swallowed with a shy nod.

 

Louis frowned, a sudden thought coming to mind.

 

"Did you-you know don't you?" He asked and Louis was almost afraid to say all the words he needed to in case he was wrong. "You know Ben was here?"

 

Harry dipped his head again, his tall, muscular form looking unusual in its submission. He tilted his head, pressing against his nose and Louis understood completely.

 

"You could smell?" Louis guesses correctly and Harry nodded slightly.

 

Louis frowned, looking down himself.

 

"Can you now? On me?"

 

Harry sucked in his lower lip, staring at his bare feet still. Louis was intrigued as to why hybrids only adopted some of the features of the animals they were crossed with- the cute parts like ears and tails. He'd seen a hybrid kitten once who had a long tail that wrapped around his thigh when he was treating her and it had been weird at first but he'd soon grown used to it. Louis began to wonder if Harry had a tail and if he did, what it would look like. He watched as Harry nodded affirmation to his question. He smelled of Ben.

 

"And why were you acting cute?" Louis wondered next. "So I wouldn't make you go with him?" He guessed.

 

Harry blushed hotly, his freckles darkening. He began to tremor nervously and Louis reached for him, only to pause when Harry flinched.

 

"You think I could let you go with that guy when you came in the way you did?" Louis posed, almost to himself. "You think I could let anyone take you away?"

 

Harry looked up, lips pouting slightly.

 

Louis actually grinned.

 

"And besides when you pull that doe-eyed pout on me I really don't have much of a fight," Louis mused.

 

He liked that Harry didn't talk, it gave him licence to say more, almost as though Harry couldn't _hear_ either. Harry's ears flicked as if to remind Louis of his ability to coerce him.

 

"I'm going to change so you can't smell him anymore, okay?" Louis checked and stepped back and Harry actually stepped forward as if to stop him.

 

"I'll be back, pretty," he assured quickly, turning to go.

 

//

 

 

When Louis did come back he wasn't in work clothes anymore. He had slipped into jeans, plimsolls and a black jumper and brought in some sweat pants and a grey t-shirt for his patient after he knocked on the door and called out his intention to enter.

 

Harry was stood by the window when he laid the clothes on the end of the bed.

 

"You can actually get dressed now," Louis offered, noticing the way Harry had jumped back from the window, keeping his back toward the wall.

 

Harry nodded, eyeing the clothes.

 

"I don't know what you usually wear but you're kinda tall so I didn't risk jeans for now..."

 

Harry had that tiny smile tucked into his lips and Louis was entranced by it.

 

"You want to get changed now?" He asked.

 

Harry's shoulders curled inwards and he peeked at the clothes, then at Louis.

 

Louis lifted his brows, waiting for a response.

 

"Go on," he encouraged Harry to take his clothes into the en-suite to change and wandered over to the bedside table to re-arrange the flowers he'd asked Sophia to bring in.

 

Harry hesitantly picked them up and walked backwards toward the bathroom so he was always facing Louis until he was safely locked in the room. Louis relaxed into the visitors chair, picking up a book Harry seemed to have procured from somewhere.

 

_The Animal Within- accepting your hybrid ancestry and how to fit into society._

 

Louis frowned. Just who had given him this?

 

His eyes flitted across the small print on the back of the novel.

 

_Everything you ever needed to know about hybrid genealogy and how to train your animal instincts to become an acceptable member of society including controlling your natural urges and disguising animal features-_

 

Louis stalked to the door and pulled it open, thrusting the book toward Liam.

 

"Who gave him this?" He barked, short and demanding.

 

Liam lifted his brows, bemused.

 

"No idea..."

 

"Well you see who comes in and out," he posed. "You didn't see anyone come in with this shit?"

 

Liam shook his head and Louis sighed, slamming the door shut as he turned back into the room and Harry was venturing out of the bathroom, darting back inside at the loud noise.

 

"It's just me," Louis announced with a sigh.

 

Harry came out then in his clothes and he was frowning as he fiddled in the pocket, pulling out a knitted beanie. Louis sank into the visitors chair, the book gripped tight in his hand ready to tell Harry how he didn't need this stupid thing before ripping it in half but something delayed him from his rant.

 

Harry's face split into the widest, happiest grin and two of the most obnoxious dimples dented into his cheeks, elongating as his teeth parted, his delight clear. Louis watched in half awe, half confusion as Harry pulled the hat on, covering up his ears and the bandages alike. He stood proudly, hands on hips as if to say 'ta-da!' and Louis watched on horrified at his misconception that hiding his animal features was a good thing.

 

He didn't want to break Harry's heart by not being happy for him when he looked so damn pleased himself but he was already on a warpath about the book so it wasn't the best time for Louis to be controlling his inner rage.

 

"Who gave you this?" Louis demanded, lifting the book up to showcase it to Harry.

 

Harry's smile dipped. He pointed at the door.

 

"A nurse?" Louis questioned. "Which one?"

 

Harry dipped his chin, lips quivering.

 

"Hey, you're not in trouble," Louis quickly said. "The person who gave you this is, though," he added with a narrowing of his eyes.

 

Harry lifted a shoulder helplessly.

 

"Did you read it?" Louis asked tersely as Harry crawled onto the bed and scooped his legs up with his arms, back to the head-board.

 

Harry nodded.

 

"Then forget every word that's written here do you understand?" Louis asked.

 

Harry gazed at him.

 

"You don't need to pretend anything or control anything or-" Louis' voice lodged in his throat. "You be exactly who you are, Harry, nothing else," he said firmly.

 

Harry bit into his lower lip, stroking his hat with a little happy smile that released the faintest hint of a dimple in his cheek and Louis could suddenly see why Ben didn't want to let him go. He was beautiful. Seriously gorgeous. And he thought he had to hide it.

 

Louis got up and relocated on the edge of the bed, finding Harry's gaze on him curiously but no alarm in his movements. He reached across, curling his fingers into the knitted head-wear, tugging gently while Harry hid his face, blushing hard.

 

Louis pulled the hat away, pursing his lips to blow gently through them, the air tickling Harry's fawn ears which danced in response.

 

"Don't hide," Louis begged him softly. "Please don't hide..."

 

Harry cupped his hands over his fawn ears, fingertips covering his bandages and signalling he wanted to hide his antlers, too. Louis felt his chest tighten and helplessly reached out, grasping his wrists with gentle, gentle fingers, bringing his hands away when Harry let the contact continue.

 

"Don't hide," Louis said again, face creasing. "You're so beautiful."

 

Harry stared at him in that way Louis found intriguing. Like when he had said he liked guys. And then Harry did something he didn't expect. He dipped his head and nudged it under Louis' jaw, like a dog might when looking for affection, when trying to express it. Louis gasped in a shallow breath as Harry pulled away again, lips tucked with that tiny smile of his.

 

Louis wanted to see the big smile more, the one that showcased those incredible dimples. He made it his personal mission to make that happen again, as often as possible.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you I'm so glad you like it! And if you are reading this and looking at my other stuff and leaving Kudos then thank you!!
> 
> I am hoping the Watership Down references make sense even if you haven't read the book (shame on you).
> 
> Ang

Louis got a pager message at 3am.

 

He'd gone home once Harry had fallen peacefully asleep and he'd barely slept for worrying but the pager was enough to have him wide awake and stumbling down the stairs as he dragged on his jeans and a long sleeve top.

 

His hair was wrecked and his face was furred with stubble but the fact that his pager told him to 'COME NOW HYBRID NEEDS HELP' was enough to have him not caring about much else.

 

He raced to the hospital and pulled up crookedly in his space, jumping out and not even bothering to stop by his locker for his whites before he ran to Harry's room.

 

The night guard, Adam, was outside eyes wide as loud crashing noises sounded from within.

 

Louis darted his eyes to his friend.

 

"What happened?"

 

Adam shrugged.

 

"He was wailing I guessed he was having a bad dream but then he started going crazy throwing things about..."

 

Louis nodded once, heading for the door and broaching it open slowly.

 

"Harry? It's me, Louis," he called in through the gap.

 

He heard crashing and general noises of destruction.

 

"Harry?" He called again, louder.

 

A pained roar came from inside and Louis could make out sobbing. He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath, swinging the door open to bravely step inside. A flying projectile narrowly missed his head and he ducked just in time to avoid it.

 

He put out his hands blindly in front of him.

 

"Harry..." He said again, seeing Harry kneeling on the bed, ripping up pillow cases. "Pretty, please," Louis begged.

 

There seemed to be something in that because Harry froze, tall form tense and stilled in place, hands clenched around fabric strips which he weakly gave up, dropping them to the bed.

 

Louis let out his breath in silent relief.

 

"Are your bandages okay?" He asked next, his main concern always being Harry's welfare.

 

Harry held out his wrists obediently, insides upwards and Louis came around the bed to check. The bandages were untouched.

 

"You broke the room instead?" Louis asked, blue eyes flicking to Harry's face which was wet with tears and so, so broken.

 

Harry nodded, a sob slipping through his lips as he broke down again and Louis couldn't help himself. Maybe it was because he was tired, maybe it had something to do with being woken at 3am and running here half-asleep. Whatever the reason, whatever made him do it, Louis crawled onto the bed and wrapped two strong (small) arms around Harry's big, big body and curled his head down to press stop Harry's, right into his curls, against his crown to avoid his injuries.

 

He felt one of Harry's fawn ears press against his jaw, shifting to comfort under the pressure and he was speechless at the fact Harry hadn't moved from his arms. He was the smaller of the two of them and his arms barely fit right around Harry's body (arms and all) but he didn't care. He'd squeeze as hard as he had to, to make the boy feel protected.

 

"It's okay, pretty," he hummed as Harry broke down. "Hey, I'm here now, alright? Don't cry now..."

 

Louis saw the beanie laying on the pillow and remembered how happy it made Harry to wear it. Although he hated the reason why Harry felt happy about it, right now he wanted to give the boy comfort. He reached for it, not giving it to him as Harry maybe might have expected. Instead, Louis pulled it over his own messy hair.

 

"Think we can both agree I need this more right now," he mused, fixing his fringe a little to tuft out the front.

 

Harry sniffled, wriggling to escape Louis' arms. Louis reluctantly let go, moving off the bed to turn on the light. He began to pick up the broken items, anything that could hurt Harry being his first priority.

 

"Thank you."

 

The word was deep and husked and Louis started sharply, thinking someone else had entered the room. He turned towards the bed when no-one else was present.

 

"Harry?" He questioned.

 

Harry ducked his head, curling on the bed to avoid being looked at.

 

"Oh right," Louis murmured, awed. "You talk...that's...that's amazing..."

 

Harry remained in a tense ball, face pushed into the pillow.

 

"Is it-Was it bad to talk?" Louis wondered lightly. "Before you came here?"

 

He looked to Harry and Harry refused to move even enough to nod. His ears were pressed forward a little like a sulky little deer and Louis was enchanted by him, he really was.

 

"It's not bad to talk," Louis said. "But you don't have to either. Whatever you feel comfortable with," he added.

 

Harry looked up when Louis tied up the black sack he'd been filling, borrowed from the bin in the room.

 

"I should go now," Louis said.

 

Harry plopped his head back down with a sigh.

 

"Will you be okay?" Louis asked.

 

Harry sighed again.

 

Louis turned from the doorway where he'd been stood with the rubbish sack towards where Harry was laying on the bed.

 

"Harry?"

 

Harry didn't move for a long moment, frowning hard and trembling as he laid there among the covers. He finally rolled onto his back, biting his lip as he nodded.

 

"You're okay?" Louis checked of that movement.

 

Harry hesitated but nodded again but Louis felt a burning in his chest he'd not felt before. He felt a fear beating behind his heart.

 

"Do you want me to stay?" He asked, against his instincts really because Harry didn't like to be touched so what was Louis planning on doing, exactly? Sleeping in the chair?

 

Harry's ears flicked to attention and Louis didn't need to hear the word to know that Harry's answer was yes.

 

"Get under the covers then," Louis re-directed himself toward the bed. "I'll lay on top and squish on the end..."

 

Harry keenly slid under the blanket and sheet, making room for Louis to lay on his back, arms folded. Louis closed his eyes and sighed out, feeling the warmth of Harry's body against his arm even though they weren't touching. He could smell him too, his musky, sexy scent. He sensed movement from Harry's side of the bed but was still surprised when Harry nosed into his cheek briefly, another animalistic sign of appreciation that was as short as it was sweet.

 

He smiled into the dark, settling into sleep.

 

//

 

When Louis came to change Harry's head dressings, he knew why Harry had spent half the night destroying his room.

 

Under the red welts of dried blood he could feel small bumps underneath the skin, like bone but not as hard. More like cartlidge. Louis guessed these to be Harry's antlers, already regrowing. And Harry had probably noticed last night and flipped out because of it.

 

Louis helped him to wash his hair, needing to clean his wounds properly which he could do when his hair was flat and not as volumous. His hair was longer straight and Louis found his lips pulling into a smirk as he sat Harry on the bed to inspect his healing scalp.

 

"Long hair don't care, huh?" Louis murmured as Harry lifted his chin and his beautiful pale-skinned face was gazing upwards at him.

 

Louis gently pressed into the hard ridges beside his bloodied, but dried, wounds.

 

"Are these-are they your antlers?" Louis asked, breath catching.

 

Harry blinked, pressing his lips together so that when they returned they were filled with blood.

 

Louis cupped his face, gentle fingertips resting on Harry's cheek and it was entirely unprofessional but it wasn't often Harry let him touch so-

 

Well, he had to make the most of it and even then, Harry turned his face away shyly out of his palm.

 

"I want to see them," Louis hummed softly, keeping the tone in the room relaxed and smooth. "Maybe you'll let me?" He asked to himself mostly. "I hope so, anyway..."

 

Harry was nodding, that small smile back on his lips and Louis couldn't help pausing, smiling back with a lung full of stunned breath. Harry's dimple dipped into his cheek as his smile deepened a little to match Louis' and Louis realised he was mimicking him.

 

Louis stuck his tongue out and Harry followed suit. Louis closed one eye, Harry copied. When Louis laughed heartily at his sweet, playful nature, Harry's ears flicked cutely in excitement. Louis tried not to stare too hard, or too fondly at that reaction.

 

"Louis..." the voice at the doorway didn't catch Louis' attention but Harry's sudden alertness did.

 

Louis frowned at Liam.

 

"Yes?"

 

"Ben's here..." Liam announced softly and Louis closed his eyes painfully, opening them to see Harry clambering off the bed to press himself into the corner of the wall, body shaking and arms protectively wrapped over his head.

 

Louis walked toward the doorway with a breath through his nose.

 

"I need to get rid of this guy," he suggested lowly to Liam.

 

Liam's brown eyes found his and locked there, a dip of his chin acknowledging those words.

 

"We need time," Liam said back and Louis knew that.

 

"Send him to my office, I'll speak with him there," Louis said and looked behind him to see Harry quivering in the corner, his beautiful boy who had been so perfect two minutes ago now reduced to this frightened form that Louis hated seeing.

 

He sighed, striding out of the room.

 

//

 

Getting rid of Ben hadn't been easy but with a little persuasion from Liam and the light threat of a police investigation into the cause of Harry's injuries had the other man exiting without getting near Harry's room.

 

Louis had discussed a plan with Liam about the best way get rid of the man full-term and they had concocted a risky little intervention which could get Louis struck off if it ever came to light. Still, he had done worse to protect his patients and he would do it all over again if it was needed. It was bad enough seeing girls beaten arriving in the ER room let alone hybrids who were already helpless being abused.

 

Louis began to wonder if any of that abuse was of a sexual nature. He frowned at the idea. He was heading back to Harry's room after his rather unprofessional meeting with Ben since he was still in his normal clothes and not actually due on duty until tonight.

 

Louis checked in with Liam at the doorway.

 

"Anything to declare?" He arched a brow.

 

Liam smirked, looking up and down Louis pointedly, noting his off-duty wear.

 

"Could ask you the same thing..."

 

Louis held up his hands in surrender, the only thing to declare being a book between his fingers. Liam plucked it out to check the title.

 

"Watership Down?"

 

Louis gave him a dismissive stare.

 

"You wouldn't get it," he murmured, twisting the door handle and waiting a moment before heading inside.

 

"Harry, it's me, Louis," he called before he ventured into the room.

 

Harry was sat on the floor, back to the wall, head low, knees bent upwards.

 

Louis paused, wondering what was causing his distress today.

 

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" Louis asked all at once.

 

He put the book on the bed covers and sank down beside him.

 

Harry sighed, tapping his lips.

 

"Can't talk about it huh?" Louis guessed astutely, relaxing into the wall, one leg bent under the other. "That's okay."

 

Louis looked at him, noticed his hair was messy with curls which were skewed from sleep. He noticed the bumps below the wounds that were healing. He noticed the very slight press of something underneath the scabs there in his hair. His antlers were coming through.

 

Louis blinked, wondering if that's what was upsetting him.

 

"I brought you a new book," Louis reached up to grasp the novel in his fingertips, passing to Harry.

 

Harry's lips pulled into a vague smile, his eyes warming in familiarity.

 

"You've read it," Louis pouted sadly.

 

Harry turned towards him, green eyes big and soft. Louis felt his soft lips press into his cheek and he couldn't help his smile, tilting his head sideways to purse his lips at the hybrid beside him.

 

"You're just like Pipkin," Louis mused of the shy baby rabbit of the warren in the book.

 

Harry seemed to like that comparison because he smiled shyly. Louis didn't see his dimple appear but he noticed the way his clear eyes were unafraid, the way his translucent skin looked healthier since he'd been brought in. The way his hair cork-screwed in places. The way his neck was kissable. The way his body was long and gorgeous.

 

Louis felt something in his chest expand, something in his belly tighten. Harry was an attractive fawn, an attractive man. Louis wondered what Harry's preference was, if he had any hope at all with the younger man. He wanted Harry to live with him when he was discharged. Wanted to take care of him until he felt strong enough and confident enough to pick what he wanted to do with his life.

 

Louis wondered if as a hybrid Harry had a chance at a decent life or if he was always going to be targeted and at risk. For the first time since he'd met him, Louis realised why Harry felt so happy wearing that beanie. It was his only true way of hiding who he was and going unnoticed and although Louis wanted him to walk proud among his peers, he also wanted Harry to feel safe.

 

Louis felt the heavy weight of Harry's head touch his shoulder and he kept his breathing controlled and steady, the tickle of his curls making him squirm a little. Harry curled toward him, knees pressing to his thigh and Louis felt like Harry was trying to crawl into his lap if he didn't know how much Harry hated human contact.

 

"You can stay with me you know," Louis hummed, broaching a subject he really didn't want to discuss. Harry tensed a little by his side. "You're not going back there, Harry," he promised of his old life with Ben. "But you need to think about it...about what you want to do..."

 

Harry blinked, two or three times and Louis felt the flick of his lashes against his jumper.

 

"Where do you live?" Harry asked and-

 

Louis was still surprised by his voice, so deep and sweet.

 

"I have this apartment near the woods," Louis began. "You'd probably love it, it's really quiet and green and safe..." he posed. "I have a spare room so you don't have to worry about anything," Louis added. "I-I'd like you to stay with me."

 

Harry curled into him a bit more and Louis hoped that was an agreement of kinds.

 

"Harry?"

 

"Hm?" Harry hummed, low in his throat.

 

"Did-" Louis swallowed, taking a breath for courage. He'd had to ask this question so many times and he'd never had a problem before. He'd never met a beautiful fawn boy before. "Did Ben ever hurt you?" he asked then, softly.

 

Harry sighed and nodded against his shoulder.

 

"What about-what about sex?" Louis choked out, throat tight with the idea of Harry being forced.

 

Harry stiffened but he shook his head, and Louis felt the relieved breath leave his lungs cool and light with the revelation. Louis frowned, almost wondering why Ben hadn't been using Harry as a sex slave, he was beautiful and rare and it was almost predictable for the man to have Harry as his possession for sexual reasons.

 

"Thank god," Louis said aloud in response to that, hand cupping around Harry's knee instinctively as he curled up beside him. He jolted at the contact but didn't move away.

 

"Ugly," Harry said and Louis' lips parted in shock, his chin dipping only to see the top of Harry's head, the way his hair was thick and he felt his fawn ear by his own, soft fur tickling his skin.

 

"No," Louis denied quickly, softly, emphatically. "Not ugly."

 

Harry didn't say any more and Louis knew there was more to say but he didn't push it, he just closed his eyes and knocked his head back until his shift started and then he picked Harry up carefully and laid him in the bed, covering him with the blanket with a tender gaze.

 

Liam waggled his eyebrows when Louis left and Louis merely rolled his eyes in return.

 

//

 

Louis got asked a lot of questions about the hybrid. He answered those he could with cold hard facts and others he ignored or evaded expertly.

 

He couldn't admit to himself yet that in the space of a few days he'd become completed entranced by the boy but he recognised the signs, accepted his protective streak was far more than professional concern and empathy.

 

Louis didn't want Harry to go back with Ben and he was willing to do anything to ensure it.

 

And Ben came back.

 

The day after Louis asked Harry to come and stay with him, his owner showed up and Louis slipped into his office for a briefcase before heading to Harry's room because Liam had already paged him to tell him that Ben had found a way past security and into the room and Harry was currently locked in the bathroom refusing to come out.

 

When Louis strode down the hallway Liam gave him the nod, opening the room door so both men faced the one threatening the boy locked away. Liam flipped the blinds shut with a quick wrist.

 

Louis' eyes met Ben's and he lifted the black leather case.

 

"There's three times what you paid for him in here," he said only, narrowing his eyes.

 

Ben smirked.

 

"You think that's all this is about?"

 

Louis stepped closer, a casual shrug of his shoulder.

 

"I can make this difficult for you if you'd prefer..." He suggested lightly, although his tone was low and menacing.

 

Ben lifted a brow.

 

"Really? Doctor threatens patient?" he posed.

 

Louis shrugged.

 

"We get abusive patients all the time...I know the PD pretty well round here," he added.

 

Ben pursed his lips.

 

"You do realise you're committing a crime by taking him?"

 

Louis licked his lips.

 

"People are not possessions the last time I checked. Not sure you'll make that one stick..." He came closer still, hands in his white jacket pockets.

 

Ben turned around, back to the toilet door.

 

"He'll never follow your commands, I've trained him to obey only me," Ben warned.

 

Louis' eyes flashed dark with anger.

 

"You can leave now, with the money and nothing else will happen," he suggested.

 

Ben blinked passively, eyeing the briefcase.

 

"And if I don't?" He arched a brow.

 

Louis slipped his hand from his pocket and struck it towards Ben's arm, stabbing him with the needle of the syringe he was hiding in his palm, releasing the contents of that tube quickly into his bloodstream.

 

Ben's eyes widened as he realised Louis' threats were very real.

 

"What was that? Some kind of virus?"

 

Louis smirked.

 

"You wish," he arched his brows mischievously. "What I just injected you with will give you some pretty nasty hallucinations while being completely untraceable and harmless once it leaves your bloodstream," Louis shared. "I have enough supply to inject you every day for the next ten years if you even think of coming back here..."

 

Ben began to frown, hands going up in front of his face as though fighting off bats.

 

"What- what is this?" He panted, becoming panicked.

 

"Liam is going to escort you off the premises," Louis added. "Let's hope we'll never meet again, hm?"

 

Ben began to scream, mouth covered by Liam's hand.

 

"Liam," Louis invited of his friend who dragged a writhing Ben from the room while Louis approached the bathroom door with silent footsteps.

 

"Harry?" He called, sucking in a hopeful breath. "Harry, open the door, it's safe now, I'm here, okay?"

 

Louis closed his eyes when no sound came from within, praying that he wouldn't break in to find a bloody mess on the floor or worse. He stepped back and charged the door with his shoulder, crying out in pain when the two met and his shoulder gave way first.

 

"Fuck!" He hissed, sliding to his knees as he clutched at the bruised skin, underestimating the strength of the door.

 

Cool fingertips ran into his hair and he looked up, finding Harry stood there, big eyes filled with tears and worry.

 

"Louis," he whispered and Louis heaved out a few breaths in relief as his eyes scanned Harry's form and found no further injuries.

 

Louis grasped at his sleeve, pulling him down and Harry knelt too, eyeing him uncertainly. Louis couldn't help it, he pulled Harry into his arms and breathed out into his hair heavily.

 

"You're okay," he mumbled. "Thank god...thank god you're okay...."

 

Harry squirmed out of his arms, blinking at him, ears low.

 

"You're safe now," Louis promised. "He's gone Harry."

 

Tears filled Harry's eyes and his lip trembled and he ducked low, pushing his cheek against Louis' jaw, hair and ears brushing his skin. Louis even felt the tiny bumps of his new antlers, smiling at that, at how Harry would soon be his true self and not _hurt_ anymore.

 

"I know," Louis rubbed his back lightly. "It's okay," he took Harry's version of thank you quite happily.

 

Harry pulled back and stared at him, lips pressed together.

 

_What now?_

 

Louis licked his lips, tugging the top one with his lower teeth.

 

"My offer still stands," he said softly. "There's a room at my place if you want it."

 

Harry blinked, large eyes beautiful and engaging. Louis lost himself in them for a bit, studying the pale handsomeness of Harry's face. He smiled when his eyes fell on Harry's lips, he just couldn't help himself. The boy radiated so much innocence he just wanted to soak it up and stare at his lips all day.

 

"I know it's hard to trust me," Louis carried on talking in his usual habit to fill the silence. "Believe me, I know how hard it is...but if there's anyone here that wants to protect you more than me then I'd love to meet them," he mused. "And protecting you doesn't mean controlling you or keeping you or-" Louis sucked in a breath. "Or hurting you. I swear on my life on that..."

 

Harry's little smile flicked onto his lips and Louis paused, brows lifting hopefully.

 

Harry nodded and Louis knew what it meant. He felt his chest fill with that familiar warmth and he fought with himself not to hug Harry.

 

"Great," he sighed out happily, lips breaking to present his teeth in a grin. "That's so great, Harry."

 

Louis got up from the floor and watched Harry get back into bed.

 

"I'll come and see you after my shift ends," he called. "I can show you my place tomorrow and see if you like it enough to stay a while..."

 

Louis turned as Harry called out, soft and low.

 

"Hazel-rah."

 

And Louis felt his heart beat out of rhythm at the word, at the meaning. Hazel was the leader in Watership Down, he was the one Pipkin looked to for protection the one who took care of the baby rabbit Louis had likened Harry to. And now Harry was calling Louis his protector, a role Louis was only too happy to fill. The fact Harry chose to called him Hazel-rah depicted the hero status Hazel's warren bestowed upon him and Louis knew he was nowhere near a hero, just a guy with a strong heart and a strong mind who wanted justice where it could be served.

 

"Night, Pipkin," Louis murmured as he left the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Louis came back to Harry's room to remove the stitches on his scalp, something Harry fidgeted through with unease despite Louis' murmurs to try and comfort him.

 

He waited until morning to bring him home since it was his day off and he knew bringing Harry outside the hospital- out of his room even, would be a hard task.

 

Harry was shaking, beanie pulled over his curls as Louis collected the bags Ben had dumped at the hospital overnight. He smiled at Liam and thanked him for his help while Harry pressed into his shoulder slightly behind him, head low while Louis led the way.

 

Harry got into the backseat of his car and refused to look at Louis for the whole ride but when they left the suburb and entered the wooded protection of the forest, his eyes became wide and his body began to relax.

 

"See?" Louis called softly across the car into the back seat. "It's nice..."

 

Harry nodded, fiddling with his fingers as he fidgeted in his seat, apparently eager to explore these new surroundings and Louis almost crashed the car when Harry's dimple appeared in his cheek as he smiled. It made Louis ache in too many places seeing him happy like that, so beautifully, innocently happy.

 

Harry glued to his side again as they transferred from the car to the house and Louis unlocked the door carefully, opening it wide to let Harry enter first.

 

"In you go then, Pipkin," he invited and Harry looked at him with a blink before following his direction.

 

He crept about the place with wonder, turning to look at Louis a few times and Louis let Harry map the place out.

 

"Want to see your room?" He finally asked.

 

Harry nodded again and Louis opened the door to the smallest room at the end of the corridor. It was still plenty big enough for a double bed and a wardrobe and he'd made up the bed in olive colours that matched Harry's eyes. The curtains were beige and moss, the carpet pale mint.

 

Harry's eyes were the widest Louis had ever seen them and he was gesturing his hands about frantically and Louis finally clicked.

 

"Oh! Wait, I have something..." He turned and left the room only to return with a notebook and pen. He handed them to Harry who took them and frowned confusedly.

 

"You...uh...you can write, can't you?" Louis checked.

 

Harry put the pen to paper and made letters.

 

THANK YOU.

 

Louis grinned, breathing out.

 

"You like it, then? You think you can stay here?"

 

Harry nodded eagerly and Louis wanted to kiss him so badly in that moment. If he did it would undo everything they'd built up so far trust-wise but the urge to press his lips to Harry's had never been stronger. He dipped his gaze, clearing his throat.

 

"I'll uh...let you get settled," he placed his bags inside the door and turned away to head back into the corridor but something heavy on his back stopped him.

 

Harry was hugging him from behind. His arms wrapped around his shoulders and his human ear pressed into his back, his fawn ear pushing into his hair at his nape. Louis smiled at that, at how it felt. He tried very hard not to move.

 

"Hey, it's okay, pretty," he hummed. "Get unpacked and I'll make us some hot chocolate to go with the cookies I have in the cupboard."

 

He felt Harry's lips against his neck and swallowed, resolutely walking away when his arms released him.

 

He was beginning to think this was a very bad idea.

 

//

 

Harry had his clothes back. Apparently his wardrobe consisted mostly of jeans and t-shirts and knitted hats in every colour imaginable. Louis didn't like that Harry was wearing hats to cover up his ears but he didn't comment on it because he wanted Harry to feel free to do as he wished in his house.

 

And it turned out the hybrid was quite domesticated. When Louis was at work he would clean and tidy up, stack the wood neatly by the hearth for Louis' burner and cook an array of goodies for Louis to try when he got home.

 

That was probably his favourite thing really, coming in, calling out only to smell an incredible scent and have Harry proudly presenting his latest creation. And Harry always waited up for him, no matter what time his night shift finished. Sometimes he'd be curled on the sofa sleeping, waiting and sometimes he'd be fiercely concentrating on icing cookies in the kitchen.

 

Louis came home early on Friday, calling out happily at the idea of having a whole weekend with Harry to show him the town, to introduce him to people.

 

"Hey, Harry?" He called, wrestling off his jacket, buzzing through the house looking for him. "Haz, where are you, pretty?"

 

Louis frowned as the house came up empty. He checked the conservatory- a wooden framed glass paned building that Harry hadn't ventured into yet- and also found no sign of his house-mate.

 

Louis bit into his top lip confusedly, wondering if Harry had left, wondering if he felt obligated to cook and clean and secretly bore dislike for those chores and had taken his chance to escape. Louis really hoped not as he strode through the house to grab his jacket, heading out into the back yard which sprawled into the trees behind his house.

 

"Harry?" He called gently, not too loudly so his remote neighbours wouldn't hear and he wouldn't scare half the wildlife populating these beautiful trees.

 

It smelled sort of musty and sweet, like damp wood being smoked on the fire and Louis likened that smell to the smell in Harry's hair. He hoped Harry was out here, exploring even though it surprised him that his skittish fawn would be confident enough to brave the woods alone.

 

"Pipkin, are you out here?" He called again, stuttering to a halt as his breath sucked sharp and shocked into his lungs.

 

There was a clearing a few feet away and Harry was sat there, legs crossed, petting a baby deer. They were rubbing faces, Harry's ears were flicking happily and-

 

Louis' eyes flicked to the basket filled with wood and realised why Harry had come out here. He was collecting firewood. He stood still and breathed heavy and just like he hoped, Harry heard and his ears turned before his face did.

 

Louis smiled wanly with a little shrug of his shoulders. Harry gestured him over with his free hand, rubbing under the deer's chin with the backs of his fingers with his other. Louis crept closer whilst the baby deer froze and the animal looked at Harry who soothed him, with low soft mutterings Louis could barely make out.

 

Harry took Louis' hand and placed it on the animal's scruff as he knelt beside him. Louis stroked gently at the fur.

 

"Hey Bambi," Louis breathed, offering a smile as the animal stared at him with big brown eyes. "You found a buddy, huh?"

 

The deer pushed the top of his head under Louis' chin the same way Harry had taken to doing and Louis couldn't help his grin, chuckling as the deer knocked him backwards onto his rump.

 

"Hey, you little..." he teased, righting himself.

 

Harry gazed at him, green eyes warm with fond. The deer and Harry seemed to exchange words silently and the animal scampered off into the woods while Louis sat and shook his head in disbelief.

 

"Wow..."

 

Harry got up and fetched his basket of wood, waiting for Louis to join him.

 

"Oh," Louis snapped-to, getting to his feet. "I, uh..."

 

Harry held out his hand and Louis tilted his head, surprised at that. He didn't question it, he just encircled Harry's big hand with his own, squeezing slightly and they walked back together, hand in hand.

 

//

 

Harry was wearing a salmon coloured beanie today and his lips were pressed close together while he built his lasagne in the dish and Louis noticed his long sleeves were wrapped around his hands.

 

"Have you cut yourself?" He asked.

 

Harry shook his head quickly. Louis licked his lips, biting into his lower one.

 

"Haz?"

 

Harry blinked, dipping his chin.

 

Louis got up off the stool slowly, coming closer where Harry tensed up, avoiding his gaze.

 

"Can I see?" Louis asked.

 

Harry sprinkled cheese determinedly on his lasagne and turned his wrists insides-up, sleeves still protecting them. Louis gently pushed back the material to his forearms, finding telling red lines there, pink and sore around the dried blood of the thin lines.

 

Louis' lips fell open as his thumb pressed gently there.

 

"Why?" He begged, voice hoarse and broken, eyes wide and face creasing.

 

Harry's eyes filled with tears and he began to tremble, trying to pull away.

 

"No, it's okay," Louis tightened his hold gently enough not to hurt him but hard enough so he couldn't pull away. "Don't be scared, just tell me, please..."

 

"Ugly!" Harry cast, wriggling to free himself from Louis' grip. "Horns are ugly!"

 

Louis' shock left him weak and Harry slipped from his hold easily, the fawn dashing to his room at the back of the house where Louis heard the lock bolt across resolutely and he was speechless for several moments, frozen in place.

 

Had Ben told him that? Had his ex-owner made him feel that his antlers were so horrible he had to hurt himself for having them? That he had to _cut them out_? Louis' chest constricted painfully and he knew having Harry here would be a long process of learning to trust but he was willing to wait, willing to be his protection.

 

If only Harry would let him.

 

Louis headed for his room, sitting outside with his back to the door.

 

"You couldn't be more wrong you know," Louis said, softly, not even sure Harry could hear. He couldn't hear any movement inside the room and wondered where Harry was. On the bed? On the floor? Gripping a razor between shaky fingers and exacting more damage to his beautiful pure body?

 

"You are so beautiful, Harry, and you don't even know it," Louis mused. "And I know me saying this is probably going to get me into trouble because I don't even know how you feel about that...how you feel about having a guy who likes guys tell you how amazing you are...but I hope you're okay with it. Because-"

 

Louis sucked in a breath, closing his eyes to seek the courage he needed to keep talking.

 

"Because I really like you, Harry," he forced the words out. "And you're so, so pretty. I wish you knew that, I wish-"

 

Louis jolted as the door behind him gave way and the scrabbling sound made him realise Harry had been exactly how he was, back to the door. Harry was trembling, sleeves wrapped around his hands as he stood and tears fell from his eyes onto Louis' shoulder.

 

Louis got up slowly, turning around as he did so. He reached hands forward but didn't touch.

 

"Harry, you're not ugly." He breathed. "Show me?" He begged. "Show me your antlers?"

 

Louis refused to call them horns the way Ben did, the way Harry did. Harry wasn't a devil, he was a beautiful fawn and he didn't care if he grew stag's antlers, majestic and huge because he'd still be incredibly gorgeous.

 

Harry was shaking, sobs escaping his puffy lips and Louis cupped his face, shuffling closer.

 

"Please? Show me, Harry..." He encouraged softly.

 

Harry tangled his fingers into his beanie and tugged, bringing the shrouding material away from his hair. Two small stumps lay in his hair, hardly visible but they were a creamy brown and obviously not full-grown.

 

Louis pressed his thumb against one testingly, cupping Harry's neck to guide his head down. He kissed each swelling with tender lips.

 

"They're part of you, Harry," he murmured. "They're so beautiful..."

 

Harry stumbled forward, face pushing into Louis' neck as Louis' smaller arms banded around him tightly, his shorter body steadying to cope with the taller, younger man in his arms.

 

"Hey, you're amazing, you know that? Never mind what Ben said, he doesn't know what he's talking about...please don't try and cut them out again," Louis husked, rubbing his back. " _Please_..."

 

Harry didn't let go. Louis had to shuffle them to the bed to curl up with the fawn in his arms, lips pressed into the top of his head when Harry's breathing eased into soft regular expressions, signalling he'd been comforted into sleep.

 

Louis made a silent decision to bin all his razors and grow a beard. He didn't care if he looked like the wild man of the woods because he would not have Harry hurting himself this way again. And he only had so many words, only had one way of comforting him and he wasn't sure it was enough.

 

Harry fidgeted in his arms and let out a little bleat, a sound Louis hadn't heard before and smiled at bemusedly. Was that contentment for a deer? Was it Harry's way of expressing he felt safe? He let himself believe it was, holding him tight in his arms until morning came.

 

//

 

Harry didn't want to go into town. Louis had been in two minds about taking him, but it was important for Harry to try, even if he only made it as far as getting in the car.

 

He managed that much, head low as he stared at his thighs. He had on his grey beanie with his usual jeans and tee. Louis reached across to rub his thigh a little, disappointment lacing his veins as Harry flinched.

 

"Look, you can stay in the car if you want," Louis suggested and the fawn looked at him eyes- wide as if to accuse him.

 

_Why would you want to leave me? What did I do wrong?_

 

"Nobody will hate you, okay?" Louis added assuringly.

 

Harry sighed, reluctantly folding out once they reached the shops and Louis walked around the front of the car, not sure the best way to go about this.

 

"Uh...shall we um-" He reached his hand towards Harry's , palm up inviting Harry's to link with his.

 

Harry blinked, stared and frowned before hesitantly joining hands.

 

"Good, okay," Louis breathed out. "If you feel threatened or scared, you just come back here, okay?"

 

Harry nodded, tugging down his hat shyly.

 

"Right, let's try the grocery store first," he mused, leading the way.

 

//

 

Meredith- the shelf-stacker- took an immediate shine to Louis' new friend.

 

"Oh my god, who's this cutie?" She asked Louis as Harry dipped his face shyly.

 

"Merry, meet Harry," Louis introduced.

 

Harry looked up, big green eyes wide and Louis noticed the shift of his ears under the hat as he hesitantly sniffed at the newcomer.

 

"Harry, that's a cute name," Meredith smiled sweetly. "Are you new here?"

 

Harry nodded and Louis smiled as Meredith looked at him in confusion.

 

"He's shy," Louis explained quickly. "Not a big talker..."

 

Meredith nodded slowly.

 

"Hey, Louis is the best isn't he?" She confided softly, so that Louis could still hear which made him blush. "He saves all these lives and he's so sexy!"

 

Louis cleared his throat and tugged Harry's hand as if to move them away but Harry's face had lit up and he was staring at Meredith like she was the sun. He nodded eagerly to her words.

 

"Do you think he's sexy?" She arched a brow with a conspiratorial wink.

 

Harry blushed and flicked his eyes sideways at Louis, biting his lip as he nodded shyly.

 

"Doesn't even know it, either," she huffed. "Do you Louis?" She added to the older man and Louis opened his mouth but nothing came out.

 

"Sexy Doc Tom we call him round here..." Meredith added. "Say, are you two dating?"

 

Louis shot a look at Harry to save him from answering but Harry was already keenly bobbing his head, scribbling on his notebook.

 

LIKE TO BE, he'd written there and Louis-

 

Well he gaped, face creased with confusion. What? Just _-what?!_

 

Meredith gasped and winked at him.

 

"Well Doc," she mused. "There's an opener for a invitation of ever I saw one..."

 

Louis tilted his head, the air having left his lungs some time ago and his lips having fallen apart. When Meredith went out back for more supplies, Harry twitched and something caught Louis' eye that he wasn't sure he'd actually seen or he'd just imagined. The back of Harry's jeans- in the seat of his pants- something moved. He frowned, leaning to one side to look harder but Harry edged away, turning his back away from Louis' view.

 

"Did I...was that...?"

 

Harry shook his head quickly and wrote IT WAS NOTHING on his notebook. Louis knew he was lying but didn't push it. Harry would tell him in his own time if he wanted Louis to know. And if he didn't want to Louis to know, well then Louis just had to accept that.

 

"So..." Louis breathed and Harry stared at him, looking down slightly from their height difference. "Why didn't you tell me you liked guys?" He aimed for humour and hoped it was the right tone to take.

 

Harry's hands went behind his back as his hip pushed sideways, lips pouting.

 

"I see," Louis murmured, even though he didn't see at all. "I think we should finish food shopping don't you?" He suggested and he moved away before Harry could find an answer.

 

//

 

The knowledge that Harry liked guys and wanted to date him didn't sit well with Louis. He was a man after all, a man with blood pounding around his veins and a hundred fantasies filling his mind.

 

When he retired to bed that night he wrapped a hand around his hardness and tugged insistently, biting down his whimpers and muffling his cries into his pillow. If he came harder than he ever had before, nobody needed to know. If the reason he had that reaction was due to imagining making love to a certain fawn well then, nobody needed to know that either.

 

Louis had his fair share of romantic partners in the past and his status as a doctor was a handy draw, but his passion for caring for others was sometimes hard for his partners to bear. Sometimes they felt second-best, felt like Louis didn't prioritise them. And maybe Louis hadn't. Because he'd never met anybody he wanted to prioritise. Until now.

 

Louis had maybe never felt like this before. Never felt this urgency in his veins, this outright need to protect someone. It was one of his instincts, one of the things that made him a good doctor but he'd never felt it this strongly for one person.

 

The same night he'd lain awake tossing and turning after his carnal relief, Harry had a nightmare. Louis heard the whimpering and terrified cries from down the hallway, quickly throwing back his duvet and dashing out in his boxers and tee.

 

He ran down the hall and pounded on Harry's door.

 

"Harry! Harry wake up!" He called loudly, banging on the wood still in an effort to rouse him.

 

Louis sighed and tried the door handle, surprised when it gave way. Harry was writhing on the bed, pained sounds escaping his lips, his fingers scratching at his cuts and Louis suddenly realised he hadn't done that knowingly in hospital, he did it in his sleep.

 

"Hey, pretty, no..." He advanced, grasping his wrists gently and shaking him. "Harry, wake up, come on..."

 

Harry didn't flinch at his touch but his eyes opened, filled with terror and his body went stiff in the bed.

 

"It's me," Louis quickly assured. "You're having a bad dream, that's all..."

 

Harry's cheeks were wet with tears and his eyes bloodshot. The tip of his nose was red and wet and Harry claimed back a hand to wipe it on his sleeve. Louis let go of his other wrist carefully, tickling his fingers into Harry's palm.

 

Harry's ears lifted from their flattened position from his head, rotating forward as if to listen. Louis guessed he need to speak.

 

"It's okay, you're safe now," Louis said. "You just had a nightmare, that's all."

 

Louis thumbed away his tears, swallowing hard. He could hold this boy against his chest and never let go if he let him. He wondered if that was something Harry would ever be interested in. He smirked. Probably not. Of all the people in the world over that Harry could fall in love with, Louis wasn't sure he'd be the one. He wasn't insecure, exactly. He just didn't trust his luck. And he didn't feel he'd ever be lucky enough to keep this fawn in his life-or his arms- forever.

 

Harry shifted back on the bed, making space. His big eyes looked dark in the room and his ears flicked sweetly, showing Louis he wasn't afraid.

 

"You want me to bunk in?" He checked, rolling into the space when Harry nodded. "Keep the dark dreams away?" He added softly.

 

Harry nodded again in the dark and Louis pulled the comforter over them both, careful not to touch the boy.

 

"Don't punch me if you have another bad dream okay?" Louis teased huskily as Harry curled up next to him, close but not touching.

 

Harry hummed and Louis took that as signal to sleep, his eyes closing easily in the warm, musky room.

 

//

 

"You don't have to cook and clean for me, you know that don't you?"

 

Louis was sipping coffee the following morning, hair sleep-skewed as he read the paper at the wooden breakfast table.

 

Harry was busy at the stove making something which smelled delicious.

 

He nodded, leaning over to write something on the notebook.

 

I WANT TO.

 

"But Ben made you do this stuff," Louis commented, noting the way Harry's shoulders tightened at the mention of the other man's name. "I don't want to be like him."

 

YOU'RE NOT.

 

"You can just laze about all day and play with fawns if you like," Louis added conversationally. "I really don't mind."

 

YOURS.

 

Louis frowned at that, watching Harry dish up his creation onto his plate as he leaned back with his paper pressed to his chest. The notebook was on the table, three lines filled. The last one made Louis frown.

 

"Harry, no," Louis denied softly. "I'm not your owner..."

 

Harry sat with his own plate but looked up, fear in his green eyes.

 

"No, don't panic," Louis told him. "You're not for sale."

 

Harry clawed back his book.

 

WANT TO BE YOURS.

 

Louis sighed, at a loss of what to say. he wanted Harry to be his too but not in a possession sense.

 

"You have so much to learn," Louis explained gently. "You're not a belonging, people don't own you," he assured. "You're a free person who can do as you please...see who you please, go where you please," he added.

 

HERE PLEASE.

 

Louis stared at him and Harry stared back, chewing as he blinked innocently. Louis ate a forkful of his own breakfast, deciding to try this conversation again once Harry had more independence.

 

"Alright," he nodded. "As long as you're sure..."

 

Harry pressed his lips together and his dimple appeared.

 

"Sure," he said and it was deep and husked and Louis couldn't argue with it.


	4. Chapter 4

Harry was home alone when somebody came to find him..

 

Louis guessed his friend Meredith had been blabbing to everybody about his new friend and the gossip from the hospital about a hybrid soon melded and the pieces must have been put together because Louis got a call from his neighbour around lunchtime a few days after Harry had told him he wanted to be his.

 

He'd taken the call in his office, had listened while Niall had explained to him that someone had been by the house asking after a hybrid and that he'd followed them to make sure nothing untoward happened (after telling him no hybrids lived in this neighbourhood) and when the stranger had knocked on Louis' door, Harry hadn't answered at first but Niall had watched him circling the property and instead of calling police had called Louis.

 

By the time Louis made it home, Niall _had_ called the police and reported the stranger as a trespasser since he caught him breaking the glass in Louis' conservatory door to try and force the lock and Louis knew by then Harry would be frightened and locked away just like all those times in the hospital.

 

He felt like a failure as he let Niall board up his conservatory door, thanking the man for his help today and offering him anything in repayment which the kind man refused. Louis knew that Niall was aware of Harry's presence in his home, was probably aware of the fact Harry was a hybrid too. But the quiet Irish man hadn't bothered him since Harry had moved in. He'd just greeted him whenever they passed like normal, talked about weather and the state of their cars.

 

Louis headed inside his home with a heavy heart. He'd promised Harry he would be safe here and he'd lied. Louis had no idea someone would come looking for him and he wondered how Harry coped when he'd been in this zoo Ben talked about- if the man had even been telling the truth. And he wondered how many more people would come by trying to get a look at Harry, trying to steal him away.

 

He checked the whole apartment, finding Harry locked not in his own room, but in Louis'. Louis frowned at that, wondering why Harry hadn't gone to his own room.

 

"Hey Pipkin....Hazel-rah's home," he called, opting for lightness in a moment he didn't feel very light at all.

 

He heard a whimper, a scrabble and the sound of the door being unlocked. And then he was forced back with the weight of a six-foot-something man charging him, wrapping arms around his shoulders as he staggered back. Louis quickly slipped his strong arms around Harry's waist, his back pressing to the wall with a jolt, making him huff out air.

 

"Whoa..." Louis lifted his brows, one hand coming up to cup the back of Harry's head protectively. "You okay?"

 

Harry burrowed into Louis' neck submissively, nosing up at his chin.

 

"Alright, pretty," Louis soothed, not expecting this reaction and-

 

What was _that_?

 

Was Harry-?

 

Was Harry _licking_ him?

 

Maybe Harry had a little dog in him because he was licking at Louis throat, whimpering softly and making himself smaller to fit against Louis' chest. Louis was speechless and his lungs were empty of air. He couldn't breathe nor speak, only hold on tightly until his heart stuttered back into life.

 

He didn't dare berate Harry for licking him so he waited until that anomaly came to a natural end and Harry just rested in his arms a quivering hulk of man.

 

"Is that thank you?" Louis asked huskily into the quiet hallway. "Just so I have it straight, that's your way of saying thank-you, right?"

 

Harry pulled away and straightened, hands going behind his back as his ears flattened on his head.

 

"No, don't say sorry," Louis chided softly, "It's okay, I like it..."

 

Harry's ear flipped up, just one, kind of hopeful. _You do?_

 

"Did Ben...?" Louis wondered then, about to get angry.

 

Harry dipped his chin, scuffed his bare foot on the carpet a little.

 

"Jesus," Louis sighed out, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Listen, Pipkin," Louis cupped Harry's upper arms gently and hope lit his blue eyes when Harry didn't flinch. "I like it, okay? I like everything about you, even the parts you hide because you think they're ugly," he flicked a look up to Harry's hair, pointedly eyeing his beanie.

 

Harry actually reached up and tugged it off with a swallow. His antlers were still forging upwards and Louis smiled at their beauty among his curls. he reached up and curled a hand around his fawn-ear, petting him slightly.

 

"I maybe like it all a bit too much," he murmured mostly to himself, gravitating closer, engaged by Harry's big, green eyes. When he got close enough to feel Harry's breath on his face he knew he wanted to kiss him, to taste the sweetness in those plush lips and test whether the fawn would kiss him back but he hesitated, nuzzling his nose.

 

"Can I kiss you, pretty?" He hummed, low and husky. "Can I taste your lips?"

 

Harry's breath hitched and Louis filled the gap, sliding his hand from his ear to the back of his neck as he angled his face, connecting their mouths with a light, sweet pressure, pausing as Harry tensed in his arms.

 

Louis pulled back, flicked his eyes up. "Too soon?" He asked.

 

And-

 

Harry shuffled so that Louis was flat to the wall again and he pressed his lips back against Louis', kissing him softly like a little boy in year nine with his first girlfriend only neither of them were school-kids and nothing about this was entirely innocent.

 

Louis groaned at the feeling that expanded within him, at the way Harry was entirely enticing and magical in the way he kissed back, young and eager and- _sweet_. He tasted so, so sweet. Like lemon cake and cookies with sugar icing. Was it because he was a fawn or was it just Harry that tasted this way?

 

Louis sucked in a deep breath as Harry pulled away, chin dipping.

 

"I'm so sorry," Louis said lowly and Harry darted him a look, eyes filled with hurt.

 

"No, not the kiss," Louis frowned. "That was-" He paused. "Well less said about that the better really but I mean about today," Louis amended. "I'm so sorry I promised you that you'd be safe here and you weren't..."

 

Harry frowned, looking for his notebook and dashing away to find it. Louis followed him into the living room.

 

IT ALWAYS HAPPENS.

 

Louis blinked. _Oh_.

 

"It shouldn't," he offered softly.

 

IT DOES.

 

Louis sighed, sitting on the sofa and running his fingers into his hair. He began to doubt himself, about whether he could do this, about whether this was the right thing.

 

"There's places you can go," he said, hands shaking as he spoke because he was so scared that Harry was actually listening and would take his advice. "Safer places...places where someone can be with you all day if you like...I'm not-"

 

Louis' voice broke and he looked up, tears breaching his eyes and sitting on his lashes.

 

"I'm not your only option, Harry." He forced the words out.

 

Harry dropped his notebook and quickly climbed onto the sofa, curling into Louis' lap submissively, arms folding around his shoulders.

 

"Don't make me go," he whispered. "Please, Hazel-rah, don't make me go..."

 

Louis expelled a breath, tears tracking down his cheeks and he was desperate to bring that smile back to Harry's face and have him feel happy and safe again.

 

"Can you-" Louis dragged in a deep breath, putting Harry away from him slightly. "Do you want someone here?" He asked. "I can get someone to stay with us..."

 

Harry shook his head and moved into the seat beside Louis, head low, ears turned outwards.

 

"You'll be okay then? On your own?" He checked and Harry nodded.

 

He reached for his notebook.

 

GOOD FAWN.

 

Louis smiled at the words even though his heart broke over them, too.

 

"I know you are, pretty. You're more than just a fawn, though. You're Harry and you're amazing..."

 

Harry bumped up under his chin and Louis took the opportunity to laugh.

 

"Hey, no need to thank me," he grinned.

 

Harry licked his skin, pulled back shyly.

 

"I like the licking thing," Louis considered bemusedly, feeling Harry's saliva cooling on his neck as it dried, his skin tight from the contact.

 

LICKING WAS BAD. Harry wrote.

 

And Louis darted his eyes to him, twisting slightly in the sofa seat.

 

"What else was bad?"

 

Harry blinked, smile faltering and Louis kicked himself for causing that. Harry paused and began to make a list. six things were written there when he was finished and a side note.

 

  1. _No licking._
  2. _No talking._
  3. _No touching._
  4. _No sitting in laps._
  5. _No bleating._



_Horns are ugly._

 

Louis read down the list with increasing pain in his chest, choking on the last entry.

 

"You cut them out didn't you?" He asked then, the first time he'd actually directly challenged the boy over the injury.

 

Harry nodded, lips pulling to one side sheepishly.

 

"It's not your fault," Louis said, wanting to change the subject now, wanting to make Harry smile again. "You know what we should do?"

 

Harry looked at him.

 

"I have the rest of the day off so we should play board-games," Louis suggested.

 

And he hadn't known it as much as guessed maybe Harry liked playing games, but he couldn't have predicted for Harry to jump up and go running across the room to pull out his boxes of games messily, arranging 'Tiddly-winks' on the top of the pile with a hopeful smile.

 

"Harry, do you like Tiddly-winks?" Louis narrowed his eyes teasingly as Harry placed the boxes on the coffee table and his ears flicked cutely in that way Louis loved and-

 

Well Louis didn't miss the movement in his jeans, at the rear, just like before. He frowned, shifting his gaze back to Harry's as Harry turned his front towards him carefully. Louis had a suspicion about what was going on but again, he didn't voice it.

 

"Come on then, Pipkin...do you worst," Louis challenged as he set up the game on the table.

 

The dimpled grin on Harry's face was well worth the children's game, Louis considered. All of a sudden he loved Tiddly-winks and he tried to assure himself it had nothing to do with the boy in his living room.

 

//

 

Louis only slipped into bed with Harry when he was woken scared from dreams or had suffered fear from visitors to the house. The rest of the time, Harry was still very cautious and as lovely as Louis found him, he kept his desire for his house-guest hidden. Hidden in the darkness of his room when he stroked himself to orgasm or hidden in the stark light of the bathroom as he showered, his cries eaten by the water hitting the floor.

 

He woke up one morning from a particularly disturbing dream, one that featured Harry with antlers and ears and-

 

Louis swallowed. He was a sick man.

 

Harry with a tail.

 

Deer literally had the softest fur, the prettiest tails and Louis couldn't help wondering still, if Harry had one. Especially since he'd noticed something on the younger boy that he was evidently hiding.

 

Well, it seemed Louis' curiosity was being displayed vividly in his sleeping hours and he was achingly hard when he woke from imagining that, from imagining a soft tuft of fur sitting at the bottom of Harry's back, by his back-dimples, before his swell of butt.

 

Louis fisted around his hard-on, eyes closing as a moan escaped his lips, loud and clear in the silence of his room.

 

Maybe one day this could be Harry's hand, Harry's lovely big, gentle, sexy hand stroking him to glory. Maybe it would be Harry's body he'd be kissing, his ears glancing his skin as they curled together. Maybe Harry would tremble in passion, not fear for once. Maybe his lips would swell with kisses. Maybe Louis would finally get to make love to his beautiful little fawn boy and-

 

He choked on his cries as his body peaked, hot and heavy and slow in its release. Semen spattered onto his belly and thighs as his breathing slowed.

 

"Hazel-rah?" The voice outside his door was accompanied by a knock and Louis was shocked on two counts.

 

One that Harry was even knocking. Two that he was speaking at all.

 

"Uh--Pipkin? You okay?"

 

"I heard you crying..."

 

Louis' eyes widened. _Oh fuck_. Harry had heard him, coming all over himself in heavy glory.

 

"I'm okay!" He yelled back. "Um...just a silly dream," he added with a wince.

 

Some silly dream about hybrids with tails. Louis sighed.

 

"I'm making breakfast," Harry said and Louis heard his footsteps fade away.

 

Of all the days to start talking Louis mused. He rolled out of bed and reminded himself to be more careful. Harry resolutely could not know about Louis' need for him, it would scare him off. They hadn't kissed again since that day the intruder broke the window so Louis was waiting patiently...waiting for the day to come that Harry would want to kiss him again.

 

//

 

Breakfast was waffles.

 

Harry was in a mess when Louis came down, batter dotted over his skin and hair. Louis was astounded to find Harry hatless.

 

"You have beautiful curls," he couldn't help himself, reaching up to touch them as he shuffled in beside Harry at the stove with the waffle iron.

 

Harry blushed and dimpled, ears flicking at the contact from Louis' hand in his hair. Louis stroked a little, fingertips gliding over his antler stumps.

 

"How big do they get?"

 

And Harry shrugged, chin dipping making Louis feel that old ache of regret in his belly. He didn't know because he had never let them grow.

 

"So gorgeous," Louis kissed his cheek and moved away to make tea.

 

Harry dished up their waffles moments later and they ate in companiable silence. They settled on the sofa after breakfast.

 

"So, I was thinking you should have a look at some college courses," Louis suggested, sliding a prospectus across the coffee table. "I can take you around the campus on Friday and see if you like the look of it..."

 

Harry blinked, fingers pressing into the cover of the book.

 

Louis bit his lip.

 

"Harry? Is that something you'd like to do?" He checked.

 

Harry sucked in his lower lip, pulling his notebook over.

 

WHAT DO YOU WANT.

 

Louis frowned.

 

"What?"

 

WHAT DO YOU WANT IN RETURN.

 

Louis' lips fell open and the breath left his lungs.

 

"No, nothing!" He choked out. "Harry, I promise, I don't want anything..."

 

Harry frowned.

 

ALWAYS AN EXCHANGE.

 

Louis looked at him for a long moment, wanting to wrap him up and hold him forever. He took the pen and paper.

 

NEVER. NEVER AN EXCHANGE, he wrote in capitals to mimic Harry's writing.

 

Harry gently took the pen and pad back.

 

THEN WHAT DO I GIVE YOU?

 

Louis stared at him, his face creasing with the knowledge he was falling in love with this man, this completely flawless being he'd had the utter luck of crossing paths with.

 

Harry ducked to lick at his neck, making Louis cast out a breathy chuckle, only those laps of Harry's tongue turned into sweet kisses, slow and sure and-

 

Louis fidgeted, the reaction to that particular oral delight going straight to his already over-eager groin. He groaned weakly, head knocking back to give Harry more neck to work with and his hips propped up a little while he planted his hands on his thighs and fought with himself not to touch, not to curl his fingers into Harry's beautiful hair and press him closer to get more of those lips, to make him stay right there, right where he sucked on the sweetest part of his skin where his pulse throbbed and Harry seemed to know it, his tongue swathing there expertly while his lips bit down softly thereafter.

 

"Harry," Louis breathed, pushing the heel of his hand into his lap to curb his reaction only Harry was straddling him, and pulling curiously at his wrist, trying to uncover exactly what Louis was so determined to hide.

 

"No, Pipkin...no, please..." Louis begged meekly, finally letting his tensed arm give way at Harry's insistence.

 

He opened his blue grey eyes in time to catch the dark look in Harry's unnaturally large orbs and he was shocked. Shocked that the innocent little fawn could look so wanton. When Harry reached forward, hand trembling, Louis captured his wrist in gentle fingers.

 

"No, pretty, please," Louis begged on a whisper. "No exchange, okay? I want this, I do," he urged. "But not like this, okay?"

 

Harry paused, licking his kiss-swollen lips, his face showing his confusion. Louis knew he hadn't exchanged sexual favours with Ben and he couldn't help but wonder where this instinct came from to do so. He hoped it was more to do with Harry wanting to than feeling obligated. It was maybe his way of showing his appreciation, of expressing his feelings.

 

Harry sat back on Louis' thighs, a movement against his legs making Louis dart his eyes up. He was sure that Harry had a tail and that's what was hiding in his jeans, that he was always avoiding Louis seeing. And yet Louis still wasn't sure he should mention it.

 

Harry's tension and wide-eyed fright told him the time wasn't right. He kissed by Harry's mouth, just sweetly.

 

"You're amazing," he breathed against Harry's lips. "You know that right?"

 

Harry dipped his head, hands pressed to Louis' chest to steady him.

 

"You're amazing," he said in perfect mimic to Louis' words.

 

Louis smiled, wide and bright.

 

"That's right!" he said. "You're amazing..."

 

"You're amazing," Harry said again and this time he pressed a little into Louis' chest.

 

Louis laughed.

 

"No I'm not amazing, you are..."

 

"You're amazing," Harry pressed harder, emphasising his words.

 

Louis waited for Harry's smile to break free and it did, slowly and it was like the sun coming out. He thumbed the cavern in his cheek.

 

"I have to get to work," Louis told him softly, smile fading.

 

Harry darted him a look, ears flattening cutely as he pouted. He widened his eyes, dipping his chin.

 

"Oh no you don't," Louis shifted with a knowing smirk, setting Harry gently in the chair as he stood. "None of that emotional blackmail..."

 

A bleating sound came from the sofa and Louis turned, eyes warm with fondness for the man sat there, pulling doe-eyes and pouty lips on him.

 

"You look very cute but I have to go," he said resolutely. "Behave while I'm gone," he added cheekily, grabbing his briefcase and heading for the door.

 

He was just pulling the door up when it slipped from his fingers and he looked up, startled only to find Harry there, batting his eyelashes.

 

"Have fun at work Hazel-rah..." He said.

 

And it took one hell of a lot of self control for Louis to turn his body towards his car.

 

//

 

Louis played a different board game with Harry every night after dinner before he went to bed.

 

Niall came round one of those nights just as they were setting up Monopoly and Louis swished the door open with a fond greeting.

 

"Nialler," he smiled.

 

"Hey, Lou," the other man lifted his chin, showcasing a six-pack. "Fancy sharing?"

 

Louis twisted his lips. He could probably have two bottles and still be ok for work tomorrow. He nodded, then paused, biting his lip.

 

"Um...I just need to check that it's okay with Harry," he said, wondering if Niall would think that strange.

 

The other man's easy nod assured him he didn't.

 

Louis stepped back into the living room to find Harry apprehensively looking up at him from the floor where he'd set the board.

 

"Haz...Niall is here from next door. Do you mind of he plays with us?" Louis asked.

 

Harry frowned, lower lip jutting out.

 

"Just for tonight," Louis added. "He's brought me some beer..."

 

Harry blinked up at him, unspeaking.

 

"Pipkin?" Louis hesitated inviting his neighbour in. "Is it okay?"

 

Harry eventually nodded, looking back to the board which he meticulously set up while Louis brought Niall through.

 

"Niall, meet Harry my-uh...well..."

 

"Your good friend," Niall winked knowingly, reaching out to shake Harry's hand.

 

Harry stared at it, then at him.

 

"He's a little shy," Louis explained and he cast his head sideways when he realised Harry had pulled a beanie on, one that had been stuffed down the side of the sofa for days now.

 

"That's alright," Niall sat adjacent to Harry and Louis sat opposite while Harry counted the money out. "Who's banker?"

 

Louis smirked.

 

"Harry's always banker," he explained as his younger housemate narrowed his fawn-eyes at Niall.

 

Niall smiled widely, unperturbed.

 

"So how are you finding it here?" Niall asked him.

 

Harry shrugged.

 

"You like the woods?" Niall wondered.

 

Harry darted a look to Louis and Louis smiled encouragingly.

 

"He loves nature," Louis said for him softly.

 

"We should hang out sometime," Niall suggested. "I'm often home in the afternoons and I take the four by four up the trail..."

 

Harry blinked, still unsure of the newcomer.

 

"Beautiful views up there, Haz," Louis said and Harry stared.

 

He'd never heard Louis use the word beautiful for anything other than him. He didn't want anything else to be beautiful. He didn't want anyone else to like Louis, either. Louis was his. And Niall liked Louis. Niall would maybe take Louis away from him.

 

"No," he said, and it sounded rude without a 'thank you' to follow it or a reason why but Louis let it pass, smiling at Niall to excuse the awkwardness.

 

They broke open a bottle each and offered one to Harry who shook his head quickly, shrinking back. The two men with beers made a toast.

 

"To mid-week boozing," Niall posed.

 

Louis smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners.

 

"To beer," he added and they swallowed their drinks, starting the game.

 

Louis began to realise around lap three of the board that Harry didn't like Niall's presence in the apartment. It was nothing obvious, no spilling of drinks or accidental treading on toes or anything like that, it was mostly the pouted, fixed stares and narrowed eyes his house-mate was secretly giving out every time Louis spoke to the blonde Irish man, the sighs he expelled whenever Louis touched Niall in any small way.

 

When Louis let Niall out for the night he offered him an apologetic smile.

 

"I hope you'll come by again," he said.

 

Niall grinned.

 

"He's jealous, Lou, anyone can see that," he said.

 

Louis frowned and Niall rolled his eyes, sighing out.

 

"He thinks you like me..."

 

Louis' eyes flared and he tucked his chin in, air choking out of his lungs.

 

"But-"

 

"Yeah I know," Niall arched a brow. "You look at him like a love-sick puppy and he's still jealous, I don't get it either..."

 

Louis opened his mouth to form a retort but Niall was waving goodbye and working up the drive before he could formulate words.

 

Love-sick puppy?

 

Louis stared at the ground. If that was true, he was already in way too deep. He turned around heading back inside, finding the Monopoly game perfectly packed away and the living room empty. He headed down the hall, knocking on Harry's door.

 

"Pipkin? Are you in bed already?"

 

"Go away Hazel-rah," Harry hoarsed out.

 

Louis frowned. He didn't know what was going on but this was weird. Not a good weird either like Harry's licking was or the way his jeans moved sometimes.

 

"Harry what's wrong? Let me in?" He asked.

 

He heard Harry sigh, heard him stomp to the door and unlock it. He pushed it open to see Harry returning to the bed, curling under the covers quickly before Louis could study his behind more closely.

 

"Harry?"

 

Harry had his back to him.

 

"I don't want to talk to you," Harry said.

 

And-

 

Well Louis felt crushed. Harry had never said that before, had never asked him to leave.

 

"Oh," he said, hurt evident in his voice. "Okay," he swallowed,turnign toward the door.

 

"Do you like Niall more than me?"

 

The voice was deep and manly but the question was childish. Louis felt his heart expand with love for the man in his spare bed.

 

"No," he answered honestly, turning back. Harry's ear swivelled to hear his answer.

 

He shifted a bit, looking over his shoulder.

 

"You touched him," Harry said and Louis' brows lifted in surprise.

 

He blinked, lips parting.

 

"I-only in a friendly way," Louis offered.

 

"Do you want to kiss him?" Harry wondered, looking away again resolutely.

 

Louis guessed there was a blush on his cheeks. He wished he could see because he felt a smile curving his lips. Could it be that Harry was jealous? Could it be that Harry liked him back after all?

 

"No," Louis said again, soft and sure.

 

Harry's ear flicked a little, his body remaining curved and facing away.

 

"Can I sleep in with you tonight?" Louis asked.

 

Harry didn't reply for ages, stayed quiet and still. Louis made a sad face and turned to go.

 

"Okay."

 

He paused, facing back towards the bed.

 

"Okay?" He checked.

 

"Okay," Harry said again.

 

Louis took off his jeans and got in, wearing his tee and boxers, keeping his distance from Harry's back. Harry turned over anyway, staring at him.

 

"Harry," Louis hummed, blowing air through his lips upwards where it caught his ear that poked out of the covers. It twitched reflexively and Harry couldn't help his dimpled smile in memory.

 

"I don't like Niall," Harry murmured, eyes lowering to the bed.

 

Louis was surprised.

 

"He seems like a really nice guy," he offered.

 

Harry shook his head.

 

"He's taking my Louis away...."

 

Louis blinked, a bemused look crossing his face.

 

"But I'm...you never call me Louis," he said non-sensically.

 

"Louis," Harry whispered. "I can be better than Niall..."

 

Louis would have cried if he didn't think it would set Harry off. He wriggled forward, taking Harry into his arms gently and carefully, a protective cradling of the bigger man in his small, strong arms. His lips fell by his fawn-ear.

 

"Harry, I'm already yours, pretty. Niall had no hope even if he wanted me- which he doesn't. He doesn't even like boys, okay? I'm already yours and you have nothing to worry about..."

 

Harry nestled into Louis' arms comfortably, wrapped in his muscled limbs under his protection. He pushed his head under Louis' jaw, just how he liked to.

 

"Why don't you touch me like you touch him?" Harry wondered, voice soft and hurt.

 

Louis rubbed his back, his hand dipping down to the curve in his lower spine.

 

"Because, pretty, because-" he paused, not sure he had the words. "You're not ready..."

 

Harry sighed.

 

"I am ready...."

 

Louis squeezed him tighter, Harry's plush naked skin touching his in places. Thighs, arms, where his t-shirt rode up and Harry's elbows tucked in by his belly.

 

"Harry....you're gorgeous," Louis kissed by his antler, into his hair. "So, so beautiful..."

 

"I don't want anybody else to kiss you," Harry said then, slow and deliberate.

 

Louis smiled. "I know the feeling, Pipkin..."

 

"Or touch you," Harry added, with a hint of a pout.

 

"What, not at all?" Louis teased warmly. "Not even as friends?"

 

Harry shook his head slightly and Louis drew him closer still, sighing out.

 

"I wish you'd never leave," he hummed, delighted and bemused by Harry's jealousy.

 

"I won't," Harry said, like it was written somewhere, like it was carved in stone.

 

"Well you can decide that later on," Louis kissed into his hair again. "Go to sleep now, hm?"

 

Harry fidgeted but let his body relax in Louis' arms.

 

"Yours," Harry murmured out as he slipped into dream-world.

 

Louis grabbed onto the feeling in his chest with both hands and refused to let it go.

 


	5. Chapter 5

When Louis woke it was to find himself on his back and Harry sprawled atop him.

 

It was weird having a heavy weight of someone bigger than him upon his little body but he didn't mind. less than minded. He could quickly get used to the feeling in fact.

 

The fact Harry had grown from a frightened, jumpy boy into this beautiful trusting man was- well it made Louis so proud of him. He ran his hand down his back gently, into the curve of his lower spine and-

 

And-

 

His hand paused, fingertips brushing something fuzzy. Louis frowned. Did Harry have hair on his back? He didn't remember it on his shoulders or his chest, he couldn't see hair anywhere else on his smooth, pale body in fact. Just-

 

Louis swallowed, slipping his hand lower, toward the curve of Harry's butt. He felt a bulge there under the band of his shorts, a softness to that mound and when his hand cupped Harry's behind right where his ass-crack should sit, he grasped a handful of something plush, like a toy would feel in toy-clothes.

 

He sucked in a breath as the realisation hit him, his suspicion and fantasy confirmed. Harry had a tail. _Oh god_...oh god...this was-

 

 _Incredible_.

 

Louis felt the instant hardening in his groin and couldn't help the instinctive flex his fingers made against Harry's ass again, needing to feel again, needing to feel _more_ -

 

Louis didn't realise he was in motion until he hit the floor with a painful thud, his elbow catching the hard wood of the floor. He hissed, drawing up his elbow as Harry pressed himself into a corner, breathing rapid and eyes wide with fear.

 

"Ugly...ugly..." he was chanting and Louis was dazed, rolling up on the mat to rub his bruised joint, carefully getting to his feet. He winced as he felt the tight press against his boxers, grabbing the sheet with a blush and securing it around himself messily.

 

"Harry?" He questioned, bewildered himself.

 

"Ugly...it's ugly...can't see it...can't touch it...nobody wants to see it...everybody hates it..."

 

Louis was decidedly out of the loop on this one, shaking his head as if it would knock all of his brain cells into place.

 

"Harry, do you have a tail?" Louis asked outright and Harry's fear-wide eyes and o'd mouth answered for him.

 

"No...no...it's ugly...hate it...hate it...."

 

Louis ran a hand through his messy hair and sighed, frowning at the wooden floor.

 

"Do you-" he paused, lifting his chin, eyes meeting Harry's frightened ones. "Do you think I'd be turned on if I hated it?" He asked openly.

 

Harry's whole body was a tremor, his pupils pinpointed, his movements jerky and small as though movement would reveal his secret.

 

"Can't see it...can't touch it..."

 

"I mean," Louis pointed to his now-covered groin with a hand. "You did see that, right?"

 

Harry began to shake his head, in some kind of terror-grip.

 

"It's ugly...who'd want to-who'd want to fuck me...who'd want to...with that...with that there?"

 

Louis folded his arms and gave a steely gaze toward the boy quivering in the corner.

 

"Who said anything about fucking?" He demanded.

 

"At the zoo...if... _if he's human, who'd want to fuck him_...with that tail...what that ugly tail..."

 

Louis was astounded. Honestly in his life he'd never been left so speechless as he had been since meeting Harry. He started forward slowly, resolutely.

 

"Okay, come here," he murmured. "We'll talk about this later but I'm not having this," he decided, pulling Harry away from the wall in his rod-stiff pose, wrapping arms around his waist anyway. "Just breathe for me, Harry," he asked. "Just calm down..."

 

"Ugly...ugly...it's all ugly...horns are ugly...tails are ugly..."

 

"I think you can trust me on not being shocked about this," Louis mused cupping the back of his head gently, stroking his hair and down onto his neck. He breathed warm air onto his skin as he tucked his chin on Harry's shoulder. "Just ease up for me, Pipkin..."

 

Harry's trembling increased the more he let his tension go but Louis just held him, securely but gently in his arms, always that little bit shorter but not caring when his strong body could easily protect Harry's no matter their height-difference.

 

"No," Harry mumbled, melting into sobs. "You won't like me anymore...I'm ugly...I'm so ugly..."

 

Louis was tugged down as Harry's knees weakened and he ended up pulling him into his lap on the floor, rocking him side to side with sweet hums, waiting for Harry's tears to abate.

 

"You're not ugly, Harry," he whispered. "Don't say it anymore, you break my heart when you do...you're not ugly, do you understand? You're just different...and so beautiful! Your difference is beautiful..."

 

Harry shook his head, wet eyes pressing into Louis' neck.

 

"Not my tail. No-one can see my tail..."

 

"I wish you knew," Louis mused of his wet dream, of his hardness this morning. "I wish you knew how sexy it is, how attractive you are...every inch of you...every beautiful inch of you human and fawn..."

 

"Not sexy," Harry grasped the cotton sheet that Louis had wrapped around him, fists clutching at it tightly.

 

"Very sexy," Louis breathed, low and husky. "I might even show you how much one day."

 

Harry nosed at him, his ear that was pressed against his jaw jerked up as it was released. Louis watched it twirl in experiment of being free, entranced.

 

"Now?" Harry whispered.

 

"No, not now," Louis rubbed his back. "Soon, though, I promise."

 

Harry pressed his wet lips to Louis' then, hand cupping Louis' jaw to bring his face to just the angle needed and he kissed him, hard and sweet and achingly tender. Louis could get lost in Harry's kisses, could pack a bag and run away with them, Honestly, he could survive in the feel of his lips alone, forgoing oxygen and any other necessity. This was what he needed. Warm, soft, beautiful man in his arms.

 

He had to break the kiss to save his brain function from shutting down completely. He looked between Harry's big, big orbs and breathed slowly while Harry thumbed his cheek.

 

"I have to go to work," Louis said, lips pressing together sadly.

 

Harry nodded, more agreeable this time than last. He placed one more kiss on Louis' mouth before getting up on shaky legs.

 

Louis looked at him as he stood too.

 

"Will you show me one day?" he asked, hopeful.

 

Harry stared.

 

"Please?" Louis added.

 

Harry nodded, hands going behind his back as his chin dipped and Louis recognised the pose.

 

"You don't have to submit to me, Harry," Louis begged softly, voice broken with husk, with every emotion that raced through his veins.

 

Louis began to wonder when life changed so much, when nothing mattered as much as seeing Harry smile.

 

"Yours," Harry said softly and Louis sucked in a breath.

 

He didn't have time to argue this now so he'd save it for later. He came closer to kiss Harry's cheek.

 

"I still like you, okay?" He said.

 

Harry looked up, ears twirling in that hopeful dance that made Louis' eyes light up. Harry mirrored his grin as it crawled across his lips and they were both wide-lipped, teeth-baring beaming at each other as the moments ticked by.

 

"I'm going to be so late," Louis finally sighed, dragging his sheet-toga with him as he finally left the room.

 

And for once, he didn't even care.

 

//

 

"So how's it going?" Liam asked as Louis headed towards his office with the security man tagging his heels.

 

"I'm running late, actually," Louis offered.

 

Liam chuckled.

 

"Because of a certain hybrid..." he led.

 

Louis paused, turning toward his friend slightly.

 

"Because of _Harry_ ," he amended gently, knowing Liam didn't mean anything bad by the term but the taller man still dipped his chin in recognition.

 

"Have you kissed yet?" He asked next, unperturbed.

 

Louis smirked.

 

"Yes..."

 

"And?" Liam prompted.

 

"And it was lovely, now don't you have a job to do?" Louis asked distractedly, looking around for a security issue for Liam to fix.

 

"Uhm...well technically I'm doing it," he said and Louis frowned.

 

"Is someone following me?" He wondered.

 

Liam shook his head.

 

"A guy came in looking for 'the hybrid's owner'," Liam made speech marks around the term. "He wouldn't leave and we could call the cops but..."

 

Louis sighed.

 

"But then they'd be onto him," he acknowledged. "Come on then, Li," Louis flicked his head toward his office. "Come and help me lose this bozo..."

 

Liam grinned, following Louis' lead.

 

//

 

"He's really worth that much?" Liam frowned at Louis as they stood in the office doorway before returning to their normal jobs.

 

Louis flicked him a look.

 

"He means more to me than anything," he stated.

 

And Liam smiled goofily at him.

 

"Louis, you're in love with Harry, aren't you?" He accused softly.

 

Louis rolled his eyes.

 

"No? Its only been a few weeks..."

 

Liam smirked. "Like that matters..."

 

Louis sighed. "Well don't shout it about," he muttered. "Not like Harry needs to know about it."

 

Liam made a scoffing noise and Louis stared at him under hooded lids.

 

"Out with it, Payno..." he warned.

 

Liam gave him a kind look.

 

"Mate, I don't know if you've noticed, but Harry is smitten with you too."

 

Louis shrugged.

 

"If I tell him how I feel then he'll never leave. And he has his whole life to live, he doesn't need me holding him back..."

 

"Lou, he's eighteen...you're twenty-four, it's not exactly an age-gap," Liam mused.

 

"He deserves more than cleaning my house and cooking my food," Louis countered.

 

"Maybe he doesn't want more?" Liam suggested lightly.

 

Louis looked at him.

 

"Maybe he likes it."

 

"Let's talk about this when you're in my position, Payno, then I might actually listen to your advice," Louis teased, heading out to the ER to start his shift- albeit very late.

 

//

 

 

Harry was definitely keeping his distance. Louis noticed right away.

 

Whereas Harry had taken to greeting him excitedly from work, often opening the door just as Louis lifted his key to the lock; tonight he let himself in and trailed through his apartment, finding his dinner on the side in the kitchen with a note telling him how to heat it up.

 

He sighed, biting at his lips.

 

He searched through the rooms for his house-mate, at least to make sure he was okay but Harry wasn't to be found. Louis wandered out in the garden looking in the woods, calling his name a few times.

 

His chest felt tight when he turned back to the house, his heart beating erratically and his face creasing with concern.

 

He checked Harry's room, could see all of his belongings flung about in that messy way Louis had become used to, pleased that Harry felt comfortable in his surroundings to do so. But he didn't feel comfortable with Harry missing.

 

He headed next door, knocking three times before Niall opened up.

 

"Oh, there ya are!" His friend greeted.

 

"Niall, have you seen-"

 

"Harry! Your boy Louis is here for ya! Just like I said!" He cheered and Louis frowned.

 

"Harry's here?" he gaped.

 

Niall nodded with a smile, lifting up a cocktail glass.

 

"Had a few drinkies and a manly heart to heart," he shared.

 

Louis looked by Niall and into the hall.

 

"Can I come in?"

 

"Oh wait, I have ta ask him," Niall said and Louis tapped his foot impatiently on the floor as he folded his arms and waited.

 

Niall came back a moment later.

 

"He said he'll be home later," Niall repeated.

 

Louis blinked passively. So this was it. Harry's first taste of independence. He could almost cheer for him if he wasn't so fucking hurt. He wanted to talk to Harry about the tail thing so badly, to reassure him and cuddle him and-

 

Louis maybe wanted to kiss him while the hours melted away.

 

He sucked in a breath, arms dropping by his sides as he realised. This was just the start. Once Harry had a taste of freedom and the 'outside world' then he'd get an idea as to the other lives he could lead, the other guys he could date. Louis would be a forgotten memory, a fond nostalgia of Harry's first good owner.

 

Louis felt pained by that, wanted to be so much more. He nodded in acceptance to the current situation and stepped back, faltering a little and righting himself.

 

"Okay...uh...tell him I...uhm..." Louis petered out, not even sure what he wanted to say right now. _I love you? Don't leave me?_ He turned and reluctantly walked away, shaking his head.

 

This was hopeless; how was he ever going to earn Harry's love if he couldn't even express how he felt? He sighed as he let himself back into his own apartment and tried not to notice how lonely it was without Harry there.

 

//

 

Harry came in at 3am.

 

Louis would like to be able to say hadn't lain awake waiting for the door clicking shut to be his signal to sleep, but in reality it totally was. He felt a relief wash over him at hearing Harry creep up the stairs and he let his tiredness overtake him slowly now he knew Harry was safe.

 

He didn't hear his door being pushed open, wasn't stirred when big feet tiptoed in. He was however startled when a heavy body pressed into the mattress behind him, draping against his back.

 

"Hi..." he whispered, stirring then even though Harry's arms were wrapped around him.

 

"Sleep," Harry hummed and Louis knew Harry needed him to, needed to just hold him and for this to be okay.

 

"Okay...goodnight, beautiful, I missed you," he muttered into the dark.

 

Louis felt lips press to the back of his neck before he fell asleep.

 

//

 

Louis took Harry into town on Saturday, eating with him in the diner where they wore matching grey beanies and black jeans with tees.

 

Harry was enjoying his third chocolate milkshake, noisily slurping up the bottom of the glass.

 

Louis lifted his eyebrows.

 

"Want another one?"

 

Harry dipped his chin.

 

"Louis...how do you afford to take care of me?" Harry wondered.

 

Louis sat back, not expecting this question. He smiled as the waitress came by and ordered another milkshake and the bill.

 

"I have a good job," Louis reminded. "I get extra for working nights..."

 

Harry bit at his lower lip, sucking his new drink when it was delivered.

 

"I want to pay you back," Harry said, eyes lifting from the table top.

 

Louis was always stunned by the large irises of green that fell on him. Sometimes Louis felt like Harry only had eyes for him by the way he stared.

 

"You don't need to," Louis assured.

 

"But you said about me going to college..."

 

Louis nodded.

 

"I can afford that, too..."

 

Harry frowned.

 

"Don't dare ask me what I get out of this," Louis warned quickly. "I get you," he answered at the same time.

 

"Yours," Harry affirmed softly.

 

Louis tilted his head with a patient sigh.

 

"You'll leave one day, fly my little nest and make your own life..."

 

Harry shook his head, eyes filling with hurt tears.

 

"Not leaving..." he assured.

 

"You'll have the world at your feet," Louis argued.

 

Harry stared at him.

 

"What if my world is here?"

 

Louis frowned. He had to consider the possibility that Harry wouldn't leave. Maybe it was part of his animal genealogy or maybe it was just his loyalty but Harry might actually never leave Louis' side. It seemed like too much to hope for.

 

"Then you'll always have a home," Louis assured.

 

"Yours," Harry said again with a little smug smile.

 

Louis arched a brow at that.

 

"Exactly," he agreed anyway and Harry glanced up, ears moving under the beanie which Louis eyed with acceptance if not agreement tot he presence of that garment.

 

"Can we go somewhere?" Harry asked.

 

Louis smiled.

 

"What do you fancy, Pipkin?"

 

Harry licked his lips.

 

"A date..."

 

Louis choked out a surprised bark of laughter, going back to the conversation Harry had with Meredith that day. He realised that Harry maybe hadn't been taken on a date before and he sobered quickly.

 

"Alright, pretty, a date it is," he nodded. "Prepare to be impressed..."

 

//

 

Louis took Harry to the baseball, then to dinner late at a lovely little place that had a fairy-lit ceiling and trees painted on the walls. Harry had been fascinated by the fake butterflies adorning the soft lamps on the tables.

 

Louis had walked hand in hand with him around the old town, taking him by the river and sitting skimming stones as he talked about his life here so far, how he grew up, where his family was now. Harry had listened intently, taking off his hat when they were alone.

 

Louis realised he talked more than listened and turned toward Harry while twining their fingers.

 

"Will you tell me?" He wondered. "About your tail?"

 

Harry had stiffened at the mention of the incident from the other day, clearly assuming the subject to be dropped. Louis wondered if he shouldn't have brought it up, if he was supposed to wait for Harry to offer information but then-well sometimes Harry needed a challenge, too.

 

"They used to cut a hole in my clothes for it at the hybrid zoo," Harry began, slow and steady. "So people would try and make me turn so they could see it. I had--People said things sometimes, about how it was weird, fucked up to be this way. They asked if I could have it removed...if anyone found it sexy...I could never remember feeling sexy..."

 

Louis cupped Harry's cheek with his free hand and thumbed at the skin.

 

"You are..."

 

Harry sighed.

 

"When Ben bought me, I was brainwashed into thinking like a slave. I was a house-keeper but-well he would always tell me how ugly I was, how nobody wanted me. He told me I was ugly, that my horns were ugly and my tail was ugly. I could never let him see them or-"

 

Louis tensed, his teeth clenching together as his jaw worked.

 

"I should have made that injection lethal," Louis mused darkly.

 

Harry clutched at his hand, kissing the back of it with his soft lips.

 

"Thank you...thank you for making him leave..."

 

Louis nodded, realising he needed to drop his anger for Harry to continue.

 

"Have you ever thought it was beautiful?" Louis asked then.

 

Harry shook his head.

 

Louis gazed at him, bringing Harry's legs across his lap where he cupped his thigh with a strong gentle hand. His thumb brushed against Harry's knee where a rip split his jeans.

 

Harry sucked in air and kept talking.

 

"When you called the view beautiful I felt jealous," he frowned. "I didn't want to hear you call anything else beautiful, just me, I loved hearing you say that to me-"

 

Harry rushed his words out and Louis stopped them with a kiss.

 

"If only you knew," he husked, pained.

 

Harry frowned, stroking long fingers through Louis' hair, under his hat.

 

"Knew what?"

 

Louis blew out a breath, shaking his head and smiling at his jeans.

 

"I literally am so afraid to tell you..."

 

"Why?" Harry pouted.

 

Louis looked up, all eyes, all blue and grey and kindness that Harry had fallen in love with.

 

"Because if I tell you how I really feel, I'm scared you won't want to live with me anymore," Louis admitted.

 

Harry tugged Louis' beanie right off and grasped his hair lightly in tender fingers, cupping his neck with the other.

 

"Yours, Louis," he husked low and urgent. "Keep telling you that..."

 

Louis leaned forward, connecting their foreheads, sighing out.

 

"I want you, Harry," he cast then, breath tight and shallow. "I want you so much...and I dream about you...wet dreams, Harry. Sexy dreams," he emphasised. "I dreamt about you with a tail...you have no idea...no idea how it makes me feel knowing you have one..."

 

Harry stared, face creased with confusion, lips parted slightly and brows furrowed.

 

"Nobody ever-" he panted, words slipping away as he tried to compute everything.

 

Louis pressed his thumb over Harry's lips.

 

"Not nobody. Do you understand? _I_ do. I want you...exactly how you are...no modifications, nothing hidden..."

 

Harry paused, eyes becoming clear as it all sank in.

 

"I want you, too."

 

Louis frowned, not understanding those words.

 

"What?"

 

Harry smiled, kissing above Louis' eyebrow.

 

"I want you, too," he repeated.

 

Louis kissed Harry then, pulled him close and held him tight and kissed his mouth until someone walking their dog disturbed their privacy. Harry slipped his legs from Louis lap and stood up, letting Louis lead him away.

 

Back at the apartment, Louis saw Harry to his room door.

 

"Well, any good date ends with a polite kiss goodnight..." Louis shared.

 

Harry nodded, already aware of this, he'd just never had his own date. And the fact he got to have his first with an incredibly handsome man was a bonus, really.

 

Harry put his hands behind his back and let his dimple pop into his cheek as he pouted his lips and closed his eyes cutely, waiting. His fawn ears twisted frontward, listening and Louis blew on one to make it tickle, quickly kissing by Harry's lips right after.

 

"Goodnight, Pipkin," Louis stepped back, ever the gentleman as he bowed.

 

Harry grinned, ears turning backwards excitedly as he opened his door from the handle behind him.

 

"Goodnight Hazel-rah," he parted, closing his door and throwing himself happily on his bed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit shorter

The next morning Louis awoke to find Harry standing by his bed, silently waiting for him to wake. When he did, Harry took his hand and led him to the main bathroom, starting up a shower. He began to pull off his t-shirt, pausing when he'd done so.

 

Louis frowned, wrestling his own top off with a brow-arch that asked, 'Is this right? Are we equal?' Harry gazed at his naked torso and Louis realised he'd never seen him like this before. He didn't have the most defined chest, his belly was soft and...

 

Okay, Harry was threading his arms around his waist and pulling him upwards so their bodies met and Louis chuckled, tightening arms around Harry's wide shoulders. He had to use Harry's feet to press his toes into.

 

"Hey! None of this, young Harry," he teased. "I'm in charge here..."

 

Harry had flicked his ears cutely and given a doe-eyed look for forgiveness which Louis accepted without question.

 

"Do you want to see?" Harry asked and suddenly it clicked. Suddenly it made sense to Louis as to why Harry had brought him here.

 

"Oh," Louis looked up. "Are you sure?"

 

Harry cleared his throat.

 

"I'd like to ask you on a date and I want to make sure you know everything about me before you say yes," he said seriously.

 

Louis' lips twitched with fondness but he tried not to let it show. The crinkle at the edges of his eyes just may have given him away.

 

"Okay, do your worst," he assured.

 

Harry took Louis' hands and brought them towards his hips, laying them against his boxers. His eyes searched Louis' and held them as Louis brushed his thumbs over that material.

 

"You don't have to do this," Louis murmured, steeping closer.

 

"Want to," Harry assured, kissing Louis when he reached up for it, letting Louis' arms wrap around him and keep him steady. Louis hands worked gently, slowly over his skin, working their way down his back.

 

When his fingers dug just under his boxers band, Harry whimpered and his hips thrust forward, pressing his hardness into Louis' belly where the older man pulled back, kissing down Harry's neck and onto his collar-bones.

 

"Thank you Harry....god, thank you so much," he breathed of this pleasure, of this allowance to just kiss him, all over.

 

Harry tensed as Louis' hands cupped the globes of his ass, fingers clutching into his crack, spreading his cheeks just slightly and avoiding the place Harry desperately wanted him to feel. He bucked up, arousal rutting against Louis' lovely belly, lips pressed to his temple as his breaths panted out hot and hard.

 

"Louis...Hazel-rah..."

 

Louis ran his fingertips all the way up, finally meeting the downy softness of fur. Harry froze against him, a gasp torn from his lips and Louis' fingers spilled into that fur as Harry waited for the disgust to come.

 

Louis' groan was pained, loud and throaty and he thrust his hips into Harry, signalling just what the feel of that animal part was doing to him. Harry clutched him close, half-scared, half awed at this reaction, at watching Louis come undone.

 

Louis' thumbs brushed the shorts over Harry's behind, baring his tail and Louis leaned back, gently turning him, eyes reverent as he did so. Harry twisted hesitantly in nervous twitches and Louis spread his hands down the smooth planes of his back, using both his hands to circle the long, cute fluff of his tail. It was brown on the upper side and white underneath and when Louis let go, it stood upright, just like a deer would flash his tail in warning to other animals.

 

He pressed himself into Harry's back, hardness rubbing against Harry's butt-cheek bared from his boxers. He pushed his ridged desire up Harry's ass cheeks, letting his thrust finish against the softness of his tail, pressing his cheek helplessly into Harry's shoulder as he panted out air, weak with desire.

 

Harry trembled lightly in his arms, patiently keeping still and trying hard to relax his muscles so that Louis could enjoy him, the way he deserved to, the way he had spoken about, the way he wanted to.

 

Harry startled as Louis' fingers brushed up his own arousal, enveloping him and stroking gently, working up a rhythm as Harry allowed him to touch without turning away.

 

Louis rutted against his lower back as he fisted firmer, tighter and soon the pair of them were chasing rainbows and stars as their passions rose; Harry reaching back to grasp at Louis waist, bringing him closer and all of a sudden it was too hard, too hot, too much.

 

Harry spilled over Louis' hand with a shocked gasp, Louis whimpering into his shoulder as he came in his shorts; dick driven against the softness of his fur. They both froze there as their highs peaked and reality came rushing back, the bathroom around them becoming clearer as their desired world faded away.

 

Louis wasn't sure if he should hold on to Harry or let go.

 

"Harry?" He ventured softly, voice husked with his cries.

 

He was holding Harry with his arms around his waist, hand wrapped around his large dick and gently holding until they parted. Louis leaned back, seeing Harry's fawn ear perk up slowly, twirling around to hear.

 

"Um...need a shower," Harry said with a swallow.

 

Louis let go gently and turned him, cupping his face.

 

"Are you okay? Is this okay?" He checked quickly, studying his face.

 

Truth be told Louis couldn't really explain the last ten minutes, only that he loved the man in his arms more and more as the days went by.

 

Harry nodded, huddling shyly now he was naked.

 

"Alright, pretty, have a shower," he encouraged. "I'll go in after you..."

 

Harry looked over his shoulder as he climbed into the glass encasement and Louis couldn't help the way his eyes dropped to his backside and the welt of fur that dropped down over his butt. He quickly looked back up, assuring Harry he wasn't just into his animal parts.

 

"Get nice and clean, Pipkin," he smiled, heading back to the bedroom to find clothes.

 

//

 

Louis brought take-out home the following night so he could sit on the sofa with Harry and spend time just being together.

 

Harry was quiet, not solemn but shy and self-conscious in Louis' arms as Louis went sideways on the sofa and Harry sat between his thighs, his waist circled by Louis' legs.

 

They shared white boxes of Chinese, swapping food and sharing tastes, watching a cartoon movie on the big TV that Harry picked.

 

Louis watched fondly as he sang along to the film's songs, belting out how the cold never bothered him anyway while Louis laughed at the comical characters in the movie, wrapping Harry close when he settled down against Louis' chest.

 

Louis gave Harry all the time he needed to settle, holding him as tight as he needed when he did. Harry nestled restlessly against Louis, ears fidgeting against Louis' chin as he got comfy.

 

Louis smiled, spooning him slightly as they both faced the big TV. He could feel Harry's ears under his chin and feel his tail softly cushioning his thighs and he was overwhelmed at the fact Harry was here, in his arms at all. After last night Louis had worried whether things would change now, whether Harry would regret what happened.

 

He'd spent all day thinking about it, frowning deeply as he ran everything though in his mind trying to find flaws to his actions, trying to think of this from Harry's point of view. For Louis, the most important thing now was that Harry felt wanted. Because Louis wanted him. And not just sexually, for his ears and tail and everything else that made him unique. He wanted him full stop, forever if possible.

 

And when Louis really thought about it- which he did while he pretended to study an x-ray and blood-pressure chart- he wondered how he'd got to thinking like this in such a short space of time. Something about Harry had him hopelessly hooked and he almost wondered if the innocent-looking fawn hadn't cast a spell on him somehow, some mythical creature-type spell that had him star-dust infatuated.

 

The most worrying thing of all perhaps was that Louis didn't even care if he had, because he liked feeling this way, as though he was at the top of a mountain on a pair of skis he didn't actually know would last the journey to the bottom. The excitement of the ride there was enough to lace his veins with a feeling he hadn't quite felt before. He felt alive.

 

He breathed in Harry's slightly musky scent, that woody flavour never leaving him no matter how long he spent in the shower. And Louis now knew how he felt, what he tasted like and how he came...strong and hard and gasping.

 

Harry hadn't had much experience of pleasure and Louis felt like it was his personal mission to teach him all the ways he could experience that, starting with being loved, deeply, completely and utterly from within his arms. He should have taken more time the really enjoy him, he mused. Should have gone slow and made Harry really cry out but that day-he'd been on the edge of his control and Harry hadn't said no to anything, hadn't denied Louis that pleasure of release or Louis' touch to create his own.

 

They fell asleep that way and Louis woke up with Harry still in his arms, curled cutely with his ears sweetly low, relaxed enough not to prick them up to listen out at night.

 

"How did I get so lucky?" Louis wondered, kissing the back of Harry's head into his dark curly hair.

 

Harry fidgeted in his sleep, one ear raising lazily to listen. Louis smiled, stubble scratchy as his grin developed and he blew air through his lips onto the half-raised ear on Harry's head.

 

"I know you can hear me, Pipkin," he husked.

 

Harry smiled too, wriggling back. Louis tightened his arms the centimetre the move allowed, muscled limbs around Harry's waist tightly.

 

"I love waking up with you," Louis expressed. "I love having you so close to me that I can feel your heartbeat..."

 

Harry blushed, ducking his chin towards his chest.

 

"Am I embarrassing you?" Louis wondered, arching a brow. "Yeah, I guess I am embarrassing..."

 

"Nice," Harry finally spoke, deep and sure. "It's nice..."

 

"Not used to nice?" Louis guessed gently.

 

Harry shook his head, almost shy of receiving this embrace.

 

Louis pressed his lips to the back of Harry's human ear. "I always want it to be nice, okay?"

 

Harry nodded.

 

"Louis?"

 

Louis smiled at Harry's use of his name.

 

"Hm?" He hummed, trailing his lips down Harry's ear sensuously.

 

"Did you-" Harry swallowed. "My tail...is it really okay?"

 

Louis made a pained noise in his throat, muscles bulging as he tensed his arms around Harry's middle, brushing his groin just gently against that mound beneath his clothes.

 

"Really, really," Louis hoarsed sexily in his ear with a smirk. "And I maybe like you a lot, if that's okay?"

 

Harry smiled secretly, biting his lip.

 

"Okay," he whispered.

 

Louis liked the sound of okay.

 

//

 

 

Harry worked up to asking Louis out on a date. Three mornings after the morning he'd shown him his tail he brought Louis his breakfast to the table as normal and sat opposite him with a nervous swallow. 

 

"Louis?" His voice still sounded strange to him, unaccustomed to using it. 

 

"Yes, pretty?"

 

And Harry loved the way Louis called him that. And Pipkin. And sometimes Haz.

 

"Would you like to go to the cinema with me?"

 

Louis paused from lifting his spoon full of home made granola to his mouth and sat back a little returning the spoon to the bowl.

 

"I'd love to. "

 

Harry smiled, small and happy.

 

"Okay..."

 

Louis smiled back. 

 

"Okay."

 

Louis had taken Harry to the college campus for a tour before they headed to the movies.  Harry had selected the latest animation for them to watch and Louis had left him money on the side so Harry could pay for everything and feel like he was owning this date.

 

The fact they held hands all night was definitely Harry's doing. Louis made sure to tug off Harry's beanie in the dark where they sat at the back and he pushed his fingers into Harry's curls and petted his ears.

 

If Harry leaned over to lick his neck well then nobody needed to know.

 

Louis pulled his hat on as the lights went up, taking Harry's hand as they filtered out and-

 

"Dr Tomlinson!" Someone called, bringing Louis' gaze from the door they were about to exit and back inside. 

 

"Sophia, " Louis recognised the hospital nurse quickly.  "No Liam?" He added curiously. 

 

She smiled.

 

"Girlie night, " she explained, eyeing Harry curiously. 

 

Louis turned a little realising that Harry and Sophia had never actually met.

 

"Oh, this is Harry, " he introduced.  "Harry this is Liam's girlfriend,  Sophia..."

 

Harry beamed in recognition of Liam's name, a man he liked.

 

"Hi..." He greeted shyly. 

 

"You're so cute," she blushed lightly as she stared at him. "Louis your boyfriend is so cute," she added to the man she'd first seen.

 

Louis didn't bother to correct her assumption. 

 

"I know," he rolled his eyes with a mock sigh. "It's a hard life..."

 

Harry ducked his head shyly and Louis tugged on their joined hands leaning to whisper in his human ear.

 

"Hey pretty, you look so beautiful see?" To which Harry dimpled sweetly.

 

"We have to double date," Sophia stated then and Louis looked at Harry to gauge his feeling on that. He was nodding with a smile. 

 

"I might swap him for Liam" Sophia warned Louis. "You're precious, " she added to Harry.

 

Harry shrugged and blushed under the compliment,  ducking into Louis' shoulder.

 

"Well we should get back," Louis broached.  

 

Sophia nodded and hugged them both goodbye.

 

//

 

Louis got a pager at 2am. 

 

There had been an extensive road accident and he was needed in ER as a relief doctor. 

 

Harry had gone to sleep in his own room and Louis knocked quietly before coming in

 

"Harry...I have to go to work...I won't be long, " he murmured cupping his curls and kissing into them where he was front down on his bed.

 

"Back soon?" Harry whispered and Louis agreed slipping out of the room into the night. 

 

// 

 

Harry was asleep in Louis' bed when he got back at six. He didn't bother to ask questions just spooned his big bed partner and tried to let his sobs release quietly into the room.

 

Harry woke and twisted frowning as he thumbed away Louis' tears.

 

"Hazel-rah?"

 

"We lost a boy tonight," Louis choked out. "He was only three...god it hurts so much when it's a kid you know?"

 

Harry nodded and gathered Louis close, holding him until all his tears were spent.

 

"You're a great doctor Louis," Harry assured as Louis settled in his arms and Harry realised this was probably the first time he'd soothed Louis' tears for once. He kissed into his hair the way he'd seen Louis do to him.

 

"Not great enough," Louis sighed tiredly in resignation. "I wish I could save them all. .."

 

Harry hummed a little to soothe Louis' upset holding him close to his long strong body as he finally drifted off.

 

It was in those moments that Harry knew he belonged here and _here_ was where he wanted to spend the rest of his life.

 

With his Louis.

 

//

 

Louis was solemn for a few days after the road accident and although Harry guessed that the hospital had a few more losses in those days, none hit Louis as hard as the infant.

 

Harry started spending afternoons with Niall, riding up the trail in his truck, playing computer games when he accustomed to the loud noises and fast movements on the screen. Niall became a good friend and Harry trusted the other man, not sensing any hidden agenda with him.

 

It was nice living here.

 

He even looked through the college manual a few times and discussed the options with his new friend to try and decide what he'd like to do with himself but he struggled to picture anything other than looking after Louis and curling in his lap each day.

 

Harry knew Louis wanted more for him since he was so young and had a long life ahead of him and Harry knew he needed to earn money to pay Louis back and support himself but-

 

Well, Harry liked being submissive to Louis. He liked pleasing him. And he knew he and Louis were equals, that Louis put him on a pedestal so high he felt like he was falling but he couldn't help it. He couldn't help being in love.

 

Harry had never felt love before, only for his parents and his childhood friend Ramona. Those people were no longer in his life but the love he felt for Louis was very different to that. He loved Louis so much he wanted to consume him with kisses. He loved him so much he wanted to touch him forever.

 

And Harry could tell Louis didn't really trust Harry on his word with that, no matter how many times he told Louis he was his. So he figured he might have to go to college to prove it, to show Louis he did love him and wanted to stay with him, always. Because not going to college would disappoint Louis and that was the last thing Harry wanted to do.

 

Niall encouraged Harry to talk to Louis about it though without making any final decisions but Harry didn't have the courage yet. So life went on as normal while he stored his words away until the time was right.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you like it
> 
> Ang

Louis took Harry to a pub on Friday night where all his work friends were winding down from their busy week.

 

Harry found it noisy and overwhelming but he stayed close to Louis' side.

 

"Hey, Zayn," Louis stopped a dark haired man with dark skin and stubble.

 

"Lou!" The man reached to hug Louis and Harry pouted.

 

"Meet Harry," Louis introduced the man by his side.

 

Harry stared as Zayn offered his hand.

 

"Nice to meet you, you must be the guy who's got Louis daydreaming?" Zayn guessed, hand hanging mid-air as Harry frowned at him.

 

Louis elbowed Harry lightly.

 

"It's alright Haz, he's another doctor..."

 

Harry dipped his head but didn't shake hands.

 

"He's shy," Louis told his friend with a brow-arch. "Nothing personal..."

 

They made their way through the crowd and greeted Liam and Sophia who were by the bar, both of them hugging Louis warmly and pausing as Harry tucked himself slightly behind Louis' shoulder to avoid contact.

 

Louis looked over his shoulder at him with a gentle smile.

 

"Free hugs, never thought you'd pass that up," he teased, winking at his friends.

 

Harry broke free of his hand and headed for the men's room, leaving Louis frowning.

 

"I'll go," Sophia offered quickly and Louis let the kind woman follow his beau in the hope Harry would talk to her.

 

It was probably too much for him to be here with all these people and all this noise. He made a mental note to leave once Harry returned from the toilets.

 

"So, Li," Louis cleared his throat.

 

Zayn gate-crashed their intense discussion about car engines about halfway through and Louis kept looking for Harry until he saw him sitting with Sophia on one of the sofas, head bowed, playing with his hands as Sophia talked to him, bright and smiley.

 

He found himself smiling to himself, shooting Liam a look.

 

"Hey, Sophia is something isn't she?" he said and Liam practically melted.

 

"She is..."

 

"People don't usually bother to talk to him when he's quiet," Louis observed.

 

"Is he okay?" Liam wondered.

 

Louis nodded.

 

"It's just new to him, that's all."

 

"Nice catch, Lou," Zayn clapped him on the back and Louis smirked at that.

 

"I guess so..."

 

"Think he might be a bit possessive though he looks like he wants to kill us for talking to you," he mused and Louis flicked a look back to the sofa to find Harry's darkened gaze staring out from under furrowed brows.

 

Louis made a bemused face.

 

"I just don't get it," he shook his head confusedly.

 

"Louis, you're kidding right?" Liam poked him.

 

Zayn slipped an arm around his shoulders.

 

"You're gorgeous, man." His friend assured sweetly.

 

Louis blushed a little, uncomfortable with the idea he was seen as an equal to Harry when Harry was the most beautiful being on earth.

 

"Well, I'm lucky I guess," he allowed with a self-depreciative smile.

 

Even if he did remember the way Harry had looked when Louis had taken his top off. Even if he knew that Harry hated Louis paying attention Niall and touching him- even platonically. He still didn't quite let himself rest assured in Harry's attraction to him.

 

"Better go and kiss him so he doesn't rip our throats out," Zayn pulled his arm from Louis' shoulders as Harry's glares became fiercer.

 

Louis chuckled, standing to do just that.

 

"Yeah, yeah," he rolled his eyes. "I'll see you guys at work," he parted with a wave.

 

//

 

Louis headed over to where Sophia and Harry were sitting together, running a hand onto Harry's shoulder between his blades which made him jump a little at the touch but he relaxed when he realised it was Louis.

 

Louis ran a hand caringly across his beanie to stroke his ear under the shrouding material but Harry ducked shyly away from his touch.

 

"Ready to go, Pipkin?" He asked.

 

Harry nodded and let Sophia hug him goodbye before Louis led him out. He was quiet in the car on the way home, thoughtfully looking out of the window with wide green eyes. Louis reached over to scruff his hair, dragging his beanie away to fill his fingers with Harry's hair briefly, moving his hand only when he had to change gear.

 

Harry went ahead of Louis when they stopped and Louis opened the front door only for Harry to rush inside, arms wrapped around his middle and Louis watched him with a frown.

 

"Hey, you fancy a hot chocolate with those little marsh-mallows?" Louis called, watching the back of Harry's head disappear down the hallway with a shake to answer his question and then Louis was greeted by the solid sound of Harry's bedroom door closing and he huffed out a breath in bemusement.

 

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked himself under his breath, shucking his jacket off and pacing up and down while he tried to decide what to do.

 

He went to the kitchen in the end, boiling some milk to made cocoa the old-fashioned way, adding sugar (because he knew Harry liked it really sweet) and dropping in extra mallows to the left hand cup. He carefully carried both mugs down the hall and tapped on Harry's door with a socked foot.

 

"I know you were lying you know," he called boldly, when inside he felt his insides quiver nervously. "You did want a hot chocolate..."

 

When no response came, Louis bent down and left a mug outside the door.

 

"Its out here, okay? I'm going to bed now...goodnight, pretty," he added before he turned toward back to the kitchen to pour away his drink, not fancying it now that he didn't have Harry to share it with.

 

He gripped the edge of the sink and wondered-

 

Had Harry seen someone tonight? Someone else he liked? Someone he found more attractive than Louis? Did Harry hate Louis for taking him there to that bar to meet his friends when he was still so nervous, still wary of his new surroundings? Had Harry changed his mind about them? About kissing, about-more? Louis wanted more. So much more. But he also wanted kissing. And he didn't care how long it took for Harry to give him that. But maybe--

 

Well maybe he didn't want to anymore.

 

He heard the click of the door catch as it opened and guessed Harry had come out to get his drink after all. Louis smiled to himself. He'd miss this. Harry wanting too-sweet chocolate with all the extras and Harry's sweet-tasting kisses as a result.

 

"Louis?"

 

Louis startled from his position by the sink, jumping and turning at the same time.

 

"I thought you were hiding," Louis offered a forced smile.

 

"Why are you sad?" Harry asked, ears low with worry, eyes wide.

 

Louis swallowed.

 

"I-" he sucked in a breath. "I was just wondering what happened," he admitted. "Tonight...to make you-" he paused, blinking long lashes over hurt eyes. "Well, I was just wondering if I did something," he finished softly.

 

Harry licked his lips.

 

"I don't like seeing you with Zayn," Harry said and Louis' head shot up.

 

"What?"

 

Harry dipped his chin, put his hands behind his back in a pose Louis now knew was 'sorry'.

 

"He had his arm around you..."

 

Louis nodded, remembering that, the few seconds his friend had slung a friendly arm around his shoulders.

 

"He has a fiancée," Louis offered.

 

Harry smiled at the ground with a blush.

 

"I just want to be yours," he said.

 

Louis stepped away from the sink and came a little closer.

 

"I don't want to own you, Harry, don't you see?" Louis beseeched.

 

"I don't want to go to college," Harry blurted then and Louis was getting lost really quickly in this conversation.

 

"Okay..." he frowned confusedly.

 

Harry peeked at him.

 

"I've thought about it and I'd like to stay here and take care of you..."

 

Louis nodded, not arguing for the moment.

 

"Alright, if that's what you want..."

 

"But you don't have to pay for me," Harry added quickly, eyes venturing up now he'd gained some courage from Louis' acceptance.

 

"Believe me, I can afford it," Louis murmured.

 

"I'll find something small to do that's part time so I can do both," he pledged.

 

And Louis was so confused that he didn't even try to understand anymore.

 

"Harry?"

 

Harry looked up, body shimmering slightly at the conversation they'd just had that apparently made him nervous.

 

"I don't want to kiss anybody else," Louis said, just to make that absolutely clear. "Or touch anybody else...not the way I do with you, okay?"

 

Harry licked his lips and nodded.

 

"It's okay for you to feel possessive," he added softly. "If that is how you felt..." he added. "But next time, don't run away?" He begged. "Come and claim me...sit by me or in my lap if you want...I want you to be by my side always, okay?"

 

Harry blinked, slow and steady.

 

"In fact, Pipkin, I'd really like it if we could just make this a little more official so that I can tell people that you're my boyfriend...would that be okay with you, pretty? Would you mind?"

 

Louis sucked in a breath and held it while he waited for Harry's response and he frowned as Harry began shaking his head, wondering if that was a 'no I don't mind' or 'no I don't want to be your boyfriend'. He came closer to find out only to have Harry bear-hug him hard and fast, his soft lips kissing into Louis' neck where he also began to lick insistently.

 

Louis giggled at the tickle it caused, his face grasped between two large hands with tender fingertips bracing his cheeks as those wet, hot lips pressed to his in a messy-open mouthed kiss that Louis struggled to reach up to, clinging onto Harry by his t-shirt and tip-toeing to decrease the distance between them. Harry curled down, too and they wrapped together, kissing hotly in the kitchen where one chocolate was melting mallows and one was dripping down the sink in abandonment.

 

Louis moaned as Harry's hands slid down his back, into the curve at the bottom where he arched up into Harry's body to get closer, closer still, as close as he could get to taste his sweetness. Harry was so, so sweet and when their mouths met like this he could taste the future, a future with Harry, a future together.

 

He thought back to Harry's declaration about staying home, about looking after him and as much as he should hate the idea, he loved it far too much to disagree. he tucked his hands under Harry's jeans band at the back and wriggled his fingers until they found fur, fingertips dragging through the softness as they pressed mouth to mouth, harder and more urgent as each minute wore on.

 

Louis unbelted Harry's jeans with slow hands, letting Harry break their kiss to watch him with a slight furrow in his brow but Louis didn't give him time to worry, he backed Harry gently against the counter and sank to his knees, nosing at Harry's boxers.

 

"Can I kiss you here?" He looked up, blue eyes wide and pink lips parted, ready.

 

Harry shook his head, grasping at Louis' arms to pull him up but Louis merely pressed his lips to Harry's belly instead, pushing up his t-shirt to make a pathway for his lips, hands fanning across his pure pale hipbones as he appreciated his milky skin.

 

"You taste so good Harry, so good..."

 

Harry stared at him, lips fallen apart, swollen from their kisses, eyes wide and dark with need but intent on Louis, watching his every move, confused and bewildered at his actions.

 

"You'll like it, I promise..." Louis breathed, tucking down his boxers band a bit at a time to press his kisses lower testingly, not wanting to rush the other boy into anything but at the same time, needing to give him every moment of pleasure he could because Harry deserved it, deserved everything.

 

"Okay," Harry husked out and it was deep and rumbling and Louis moaned against his skin at his allowance, finally mouthing at his rigid dick, the sizeable member a challenged for Louis' small mouth. He wrapped his hand around his base, took the rest between his lips and kissed him, intimately, in the best way possible.

 

Harry wasn't used to the intensity, his hips were jerky and unrhythmed but Louis soon set a pace, soon sat back a little and let Harry fuck his mouth messily, his hands cupping those globes of his beautiful smooth ass as Harry pushed down his cheek into his mouth.

 

Yes, _yes_...Louis' breathing quickened as he felt his high rising, heard Harry's breathing become shallow and restless as he fucked deeper inside and he knew it was only a matter of short moments before the younger boy hit his peak, so unused to this oral contact that he was rushing towards the end with no semblance of drawing this out.

 

Louis let him rocket to his pinnacle, felt the bitter salt flavour of Harry's come shoot down his throat as his body shuddered but he wasn't done yet, he wasn't even close but he wasn't sure if Harry could take any more.

 

He pulled away gently, looking up, seeing Harry's blown pupils, the way his hands were quivering, the way his hair was extra-curly with sweat.

 

"Turn around," Louis hummed, low and soft.

 

Harry looked even more confused if that were possible but he shakily complied, resting his hands on the counter. Louis curved his hands around Harry's thighs and kissed them, working inwards to make Harry shift his feet apart a little, which he did and Louis had such a great view of his tail from here which was laid over his butt in his relaxed mode.

 

"Lean on the counter, Haz," Louis husked, watching Harry bear his weight onto his forearms, his body bending slightly to reach.

 

Louis played with his tail, running fingertips up under the white fur to lift it from his skin, kissing at his cheeks as they were revealed. Harry made a little noise in his throat and Louis smiled devilishly behind him.

 

"I'm going to kiss you again," he said. "If you don't like it, you can tell me to stop, okay?"

 

Louis looked up to where Harry was laid prone across the counter-top and sucked in a breath. One day he'd make love to him this way, against the counter. Right now he had to make sure Harry was okay with this- with all of this.

 

"Harry?"

 

Harry nodded his agreement and Louis parted his cheeks with his thumbs, his nose nestling into soft fur as he darted his tongue out, tip aiming right for Harry's hole. Harry whimpered and keened, collapsing into the counter with a choked cry, sucking in desperate breaths thereafter.

 

Louis sat back on his heels, checking Harry's face. He was having trouble gaining enough air to breathe normally but he looked so wrecked. Louis couldn't help himself, he had to lick there again, long and broad in his stroke. He gave it another few laps, poking inside just enough to tease, not enough to penetrate.

 

When Harry let out a strangled noise, Louis looked up again. Harry's eyes were screwed shut and he was crying, the counter taking his weight as he sobbed helplessly into his arms. Louis blinked, shocked and quickly pulled Harry's boxers back up, scrabbling to his feet to cuddle into his back.

 

"Hey, hey, it's okay...I've stopped now...why didn't you say..." Louis murmured, kissing his shoulder in comfort.

 

"Didn't want you to stop," Harry choked out between sobs, turning to be curled into Louis' arms. "So good, Louis...too good..."

 

Louis took a deep breath and let it out in relief, clutching Harry tighter, brows lifting high on his forehead.

 

"Oh...damn, I thought-" Louis squeezed strong arms around Harry's middle and leaned into him, his attraction evident in the heavy heat against Harry's hip.

 

Louis stroked back his hair, fingering his growing antlers as he did so.

 

"Getting big, huh?" He twinkled.

 

Harry smiled, dimple elongating in his cheek.

 

"I'm sorry I stopped..." Louis added breathily.

 

Harry kissed him, sloppily on the mouth and it was acceptance for all that had happened and there was no sense of disappointment from the way Harry kissed him.

 

Louis pulled away to promise breathily in his ear that he'd kiss him there again soon and wouldn't stop until Harry was releasing his pleasure and Harry licked his neck as Louis murmured his sexy promises until Louis set him away gently before his control slipped completely and he'd end up ruining this for them both.

 

"Let's get some sleep, pretty," he suggested huskily, eyes dark still with want.

 

Harry looked at Louis' hardness, evident in his jeans then looked into his face licking his lips confusedly. Louis smiled sweetly, the crinkles by his eyes fanning out as he cupped Harry's cheek.

 

"Another time, hm?" He suggested quietly.

 

Harry reluctantly let Louis lead him towards the bedrooms.

 

 

//

 

 

Harry started doing more things on his own once their boyfriend status was confirmed. 

 

He was often in the woods befriending animals and he went out with Niall instead of staying near the house and those trips often included meeting Niall's friends who Harry talked to and repeated those conversations to Louis while he cooked.

 

He went into town and shopped  by himself selecting ingredients for his recipes and buying new clothes that Louis noticed with eager eyes and tender kisses.

 

Harry let Louis touch him now and they had worked up to fingers, stretching his tight hole ready for when the time was right. Louis loved holding Harry too much to even think about _when the time was right_.  He'd happily die with Harry wrapped in his arms.

 

It was one night they were out walking in the dark and Harry had taken to wearing headscarves rolled up as a headband instead of beanies because they didn't _hide_ his ears and antlers as much as _disguised_ them making them less obvious.  Hybrids weren't so rare that people stared but Harry was naturally a beautiful fawn and people would often be mesmerised by him and instantly struck by his beauty.

 

Louis knew the guy tailing them was waiting for his moment and he turned Harry toward him with their joined hands under the guise of wanting to kiss him under the street lamp that glowed lowly with gold light.

 

Harry had dimpled as Louis did just that and Louis thumbed his cheek keeping his gaze as their follower approached. 

 

"How much? " The man cast glancing at Louis as he stopped by them.

 

Louis pursed his lips, hands in Harry sides pulling him closer as he trembled. 

 

"I'm afraid I gave all that up," Louis joked as he arched a brow.

 

The man frowned. 

 

"For the fawn," he jerked his head toward Harry. "Rare to see  a male so young and pretty. .."

 

Louis cleared his throat as Harry shuffled closer to him.

 

"I'm sorry but that's my boyfriend you're referring to and only I get to call him pretty," he mused. 

 

The man reached up to touch Harry's ear and although the fawn ducked he needn't have because Louis' arm shot up in defence, knocking the stranger's hand away.

 

"I don't think you heard," Louis warned. "This is my boyfriend and nobody else gets to touch. .."

 

"Sick fuck," the man accused with a perverted grin if his own. "It's bestiality you know."

 

Louis looked into Harry's eyes, ducking a bit to engage.

 

"Go and wait for me by the railing," he told Harry,  letting him go only to push his sleeves up to take a solid swing at the man.

 

His knuckles met bone and something gave way, the jaw of the offender apparently broken from the strike as the man cried out and fell to the ground.

 

"Don't talk about my boyfriend like that again," Louis cast breathlessly as he stood over him threateningly and the man clutching his jaw shook his head.

 

Louis took that as signal to leave heading towards Harry who was waiting for him. He hissed as he tested his knuckles by fisting and unfisting his hand.

 

"Fuck..." He muttered and Harry stared at him wide eyed because Louis never swore.

 

"Lou?" He hummed and Louis might have missed the days Harry called him Hazel-rah if this new shortening of his name wasn't so sexy.

 

"It's not broken," he assured with gritted teeth as Harry picked his hand up to look; eyes widening at the swelling there.  He stared at Louis until Louis sighed.

 

"Alright it _might_ be broken, " he allowed testily and when Harry bumped under his chin to lick his neck his resolve weakened.

 

"Okay Haz, it's broken, alright?" He finally admitted. 

 

Harry shook his head.

 

"Not alright. "

 

"I can bandage it myself and inject some anti inflammatory, " he assured.

 

Harry kissed his cheek, ears low to depict his sadness and fear.

 

"Let me?" He begged huskily and Louis nodded and grabbed his hand to get them out of there before his victim got up.

 

//

 

Harry was quite accomplished in first aid as it turned out.

 

He injected anti swelling medication into Louis' hand and cleaned his knuckles before applying ice.

 

Louis sat on the toilet seat while Harry hunkered before him, face set with concentration and his touch so gentle. 

 

Louis realised then that Harry looked after him just as much as he did the younger man.

 

"Tell me about Ben?" Louis asked curiously and Harry wasn't expecting the question because his hands slipped from unwrapping gauze and bandages. 

 

"I don't get why he bothered to buy you if he hated everything about you," Louis mused. "Why buy a hybrid only to make you cover up?"

 

Harry's weirdly big eyes fell on him and Louis waited patiently for him to speak.

 

"It was about control, " Harry shared. "I'd hear him boasting to everyone he knew about his _fawn-boy slave_ and when people came round I was like a show-pony."

 

Louis frowned and cupped his cheek.

 

 _I love you so much_. The feeling was there is his heart but he couldn't say it yet.

 

"When we were alone it was different, " Harry went on in an almost-whisper, cradling Louis' hand as he laid lint across his sore knuckles. "He'd strike me if I did something wrong and he'd always find fault with me."

 

Louis' chest ached in that way that made him realise he wasn't such a rational person after all. Because words like that from Harry's mouth made him want to get a shotgun and empty several rounds into Ben's chest which wasn't really the best way to think when you were a healer.

 

"You're perfect, " Louis furrowed his brow confusedly.  "I don't understand how he found any fault at all because I'm still searching for one..."

 

Harry wrapped his hand with the bandage laying a kiss atop it once he was done.

 

"I snore. " Harry said then and Louis looked up,  smile tucking into his lips.

 

"You do not, " he denied of that fib. If anything Harry had the sweetest little purr in his chest when he was asleep.  It was nothing but adorable. 

 

"I make animal noises," he said next with a confident smirk.

 

Louis shook his head with a chuckle. 

 

"I said _flaw_ ," he mused.

 

Harry tilted his head.

 

"I'm a virgin," he offered finally a little breathless with nerves. 

 

Louis wrapped his arms around Harry's waist and drew him between his thighs propping his chin on his belly to look up

 

"I know isn't it amazing? " he awed softly.  "That I get to be your first. .."

 

Harry looked down at Louis ; thoughtful since one fawn ear sat sideways and one was upright. 

 

"Thank you for protecting me." Harry appreciated then. 

 

Louis tilted his head to one side.

 

"No problem, " he smiled and Harry smiled too and they just smiled at each other for long moments until Harry shifted back.

 

"Bedtime," he decided, leading Louis out of the bathroom towards his room and Louis snaked his arms around Harry's waist to tug him down onto the mattress playfully blowing raspberries into his hair and cheeks, tickling his sides until he bleated in submission. 

 

Louis lay beside him gazing until they gravitated closer lips meshing hotly in a meaningful kiss. They said so much with their mouths without words and Louis was addicted to the taste of Harry and so so gone with his kisses.  Whatever his inexperience it meant nothing when their lips met. Louis could kiss him forever he decided.

 

It was the next morning that they made love.  Louis spent hours on loving every inch of Harry's body and took their foreplay very very slowly. 

 

He stopped to get fruit to feed his fawn, gave him water when things got hot and strained.  He took his time with the lube and used expert fingers to please Harry's gorgeous pale body.

 

When Harry was ready he turned onto his front and propped a pillow under his hips and Louis curved against his back pressing upon him lightly with his smaller body kissing his shoulders and down his spine as his hand drifted at his side. 

 

Harry whimpered needily and Louis knew it was time but he didn't expect Harry to push both of his hands submissively into his lower back behind him. Louis paused, tip pressed to Harry's hole.

 

"Pretty what's this?" Louis whispered.

 

Harry pushed his arms straight to jig his hands.

 

"Hold them, please..." Harry begged lowly and Louis frowned worriedly at his request. 

 

He kissed his neck sweetly. 

 

"Maybe next time, hm..."

 

"Please," Harry begged again breathily.

 

Louis gently grasped his wrists in one small hand and eased into him gently, letting Harry work his hips back to take him.

 

"Jesus," Louis sighed as he watched his dick disappear inside of him, rocking his hips gently to sink further in and he wasn't the biggest guy-not as big as Harry- but his body fit with Harry's perfectly filling him right up.

 

Harry was laying prone on his front throat working in response to this feeling; to having Louis so deep inside him and nobody had ever done this nobody had ever accepted him completely and loved him so beautifully. 

 

He tried to hold his happy tears back a bit longer as Louis began a rhythm and Harry could hear him muttering things about his tail as he filled him over and over.

 

"So soft... beautiful... god you're so so pretty...want to come on that one day. ..can I do that Harry? Can I come on your fur...?"

 

Harry groaned and pushed his hips back; completely under Louis' control with his wrists held gently behind him as Louis fucked him into the bed in the best way possible. 

 

Harry didn't know it could be this intense. He didn't know that tenderness and love could create such sharp sparks and such heat in his soul.

 

He rutted helplessly against the bed as Louis kissed him across the skin he could reach and when he shifted and curled his hips to thrust at a different angle-

 

Harry fell apart, pleasured tears cascading his face as his orgasm was fucked right out of him his sweet spot broached and hit just so perfectly right. His body shuddered as Louis slowed right down, three more thrusts completing his own climax and he gasped, releasing steadily into Harry's body.

 

Harry had no idea that could happen and bleated weakly into the mattress, collapsing there with heavy breaths and stunned blinks over his enlarged eyes. 

 

Louis' body was caging his with strong protection but he withdrew gently and kissed again at Harry's shoulders, leaving the younger man in a weakened state on the bed as he slipped arms around his middle and nuzzled into his neck.

 

Louis licked there, broad and wet and Harry's tears of pleasure turned into a sob, overwhelmed by how amazing every moment in this man's arms was. He'd never believed it, never seen this happening to him. And now that he had Louis he wanted to keep him. Close and for a long, long time.

 

"Hey, Pipkin, why're you crying?" Louis was wiping tears away from his cheek with the back of his finger, curling them around his fawn-ear and kissing the back of it.

 

"Don't deserve it," Harry offered in a strangled voice. "So amazing with you, Louis...Lou, I-"

 

Louis shh'd him before he could finish his expression.

 

"You deserve the world, Harry," Louis told him, relieving Harry of his weight as he leaned back slightly so that their naked bodies slotted together like spoons. "You deserve much more than I can ever give you..."

 

"Want _you_ ," Harry stated softly, lip protruding resolutely.

 

Louis smiled, stroking a wide palm over Harry's belly.

 

"I want you, too, pretty..."

 

Harry smiled, tossing his head back so that it touched Louis' shoulder and he threaded his fingers through Louis' that lay on his torso.

 

"Louis..."

 

"Hm?" Louis kissed his shoulder softly.

 

"I love you."

 

The words were tiny but the meaning was gigantic and Louis thought maybe when he said them they sounded so much more scary. When Harry said them in his low, sweet voice it sounded so right, so normal, like it just _was_ and that nothing else mattered. He was expressing a fact and not revealing his entire soul the way Louis felt he was every time he imagined those words slipping from his lips.

 

Only he should have got to them first so that Harry wouldn't feel insecure about it, so that he wouldn't doubt how Louis felt and Louis couldn't actually speak to say them back and Harry was closing his eyes with a happy little smile, smug in the knowledge he'd expressed how he felt and maybe he was just happy that Louis accepted it but it wasn't enough.

 

Louis felt like he'd failed somehow and he had no idea how he was going to rectify this disaster but there had to be a way. There had to be a way that would make Harry smile so bright he'd eventually replace the sun.

 

Louis fidgeted as he tried to think of one.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story isn't as long as some of my others but I am glad you are enjoying it anyway!
> 
> Ang

Harry was heading back from feeding the woodland fawns when he saw Niall wandering down the garden, waving brightly with a smile.

 

He grinned back and fastened his pace up the law, pausing with a bemused smile as Niall deliberately flapped his coat open, pocketing his hands.

 

"How are ya, young Harry?" Niall asked pretending his t-shirt wasn't really emblazoned with 'Louis ♥ Harry'.

 

"Wh-what...?" Harry pointed at Niall's chest with a frown.

 

"Hm?" Niall arched a brow. "Oh that...just something Louis gave me as a present, isn't it grand?"

 

Harry blinked a few times until Niall grabbed his wrist and tugged him up the rest of the lawn, determined to take him somewhere apparently.

 

"Oh, he also asked me to give you a lift into town because he wants to take you for dinner- he's a romantic bastard isn't he?" Niall inserted with a smirk.

 

Harry frowned. Louis was amazing. In all kinds of ways.

 

"But-"

 

"What's that?" Niall cupped his ear. "You wanna get changed? I agree, Haz, best get your best jeans on," he teased and brought Harry into the house and made teas while Harry got changed.

 

Harry put on his blackest jeans and a simple white shirt that fitted his torso, running a hand through his wily hair and hesitating over his ears and steadily re-growing antlers. Louis always looked pained when Harry covered them up and he'd not been out in public without covering them to some degree- even if it was with a head scarf wound up. He sucked in a courageous breath and left his hair loose, forgoing any head-wear for tonight's date.

 

He didn't really get why Niall's t-shirt said what it did but it gave him a funny feeling in his belly to think that Louis loved him so he tried not to think about it as he nervously folded into Niall's truck, his hands becoming shaky throughout the drive.

 

"Hey, don't be nervous," Niall called over. "I think it's great he's done all this for ya," he winked.

 

Harry smiled weakly in return.

 

"I don't get why..."

 

Niall rolled his eyes.

 

"Jesus you're both as thick as each other," he cajoled which-

 

Well Harry was no further on really.

 

The car journey seemed to take forever and when Niall finally pulled up outside a ranch-style hut Harry looked at him.

 

"This is a restaurant? " he mused.

 

Niall nodded. 

 

"Bit like your back garden don't you think?" 

 

Harry smiled at the fireflies buzzing around the veranda offering magical light to the soft oil lamp-lit tables.  Everything was carved from wood and just beautiful.  It was warm low lit and intimate. 

 

Harry was staring when Niall got out of the truck.

 

"You actually haveta go inside," Niall teased and Harry blushed with a nod. 

 

Niall clapped him on the back gently. 

 

"Oh and don't forget. .." He ran a finger back and forth across his t-shirted front pointedly and Harry nodded shyly before heading inside. 

 

//

 

It was incredible inside all fairy lights and trees and miniature toadstools.  Harry felt like he was coming home as he approached the desk.

 

"Um...Tomlinson," he whispered though he had no idea why he was whispering.  "I'm here for Louis Tomlinson. .."

 

"Mr. Styles?" The clerk checked, eyes graduating to Harry's ears which he lowered self consciously. 

 

He nodded his affirmative to the question of his identity and let himself be led into the tabled hall, searching out Louis with his eyes. 

 

Louis stood up-he was also wearing jeans with brogues - and Harry stuttered to a stop as his mouth fell open.

 

Louis ♥ Harry.

 

He had the same t-shirt on as Niall! 

 

Harry looked around and realised all of the waitresses and several of the patrons also had the design on leaving him overwhelmed as to the meaning of it all.

 

He felt a bit dizzy and turned away from the table he was being guided towards,  hurrying towards the men's room.

 

Louis looked at the booking clerk and smiled wanly.

 

"I may have overdone it," he excused smoothly as he went after Harry, thanking everyone for their participation loudly as he went.

 

The rest room was quiet and cold. Harry was fiddling with his hair to best cover his antlers. 

 

"You look incredible." Louis said, hands tucked in jeans pockets as he stood and watched. 

 

Harry turned toward him gaze big and scared. 

 

"I know you don't like it when I hide..."

 

Louis nodded. 

 

"I love seeing you like this." He admitted. 

 

Harry turned from the mirror. 

 

"Louis why is everyone wearing that t-shirt? " he asked.

 

Louis smiled biting his lip.

 

"Because I should have said it. And I didn't.  And then you said it so--well if I say it now it's like I'm just reacting when really-" he smiled meeting Harry's gaze. "When really,  I love you. And I should have just said it back."

 

Harry shook his head.

 

"You can't love me Louis nobody loves hybrids,  nobody loves us it's just how it is. .."

 

Louis arched a brow with an amused smirk. 

 

"I can't? " he checked and Harry shook his head. "Can you explain why I do, then?" He wondered.  "Because its driving me crazy wanting to hit anyone who so much as _breathes_ near you and wanting to sleep with you _every night_ and sometimes it's just hard to _think_ with how beautiful you are so-"

 

Louis captured his breath.

 

"So if you have any ideas on why I love you maybe you can let me in on that?"

 

Harry's lips slipped upwards into a reluctantly amused smile and his fawn ears danced stupidly about something Louis watched with fond eyes.

 

"Is it because _I_ love _you_?" Harry asked low and husky.

 

Louis turned his lips down in consideration. 

 

"Pretty sure I'd still love you even if you didn't love me back, Pipkin. Nice idea though..."

 

Harry fiddled with his hands helplessly. 

 

"I don't know why you love me..." He mumbled.

 

Louis stepped closer and petted his ear, grasping his hair lightly in his small fingers.  He sighed out sadly.

 

"You don't?  I'm not doing a good enough job then because you should know exactly why I love you and never doubt it..." Louis breathed, reaching up to kiss Harry's cheek.

 

Harry stared at him and finally reached out to hug Louis near.

 

"Okay, " he agreed lightly to Louis' statement and Louis had to smile at that.

 

"Do you want a t-shirt I have a spare? " Louis pulled back with an interested smile.

 

Harry grinned. 

 

"I can't believe you," he complained.

 

Louis shrugged taking his hand to lead him back through the restaurant. 

 

"Had to make you believe it somehow and I figured you're not really a jewellery guy..."

 

Harry agreed with that as Louis settled Harry in his seat first before sitting himself.  A small applause sounded out and Louis bowed to his audience. 

 

"Is that him?" The lady on the next table asked and Louis nodded with a besotted grin.

 

"Isn't he gorgeous? " Louis asked back and she laughed and nodded and nobody cared that Harry had ears and antlers here.  Really nobody minded and he began to relax in his seat glad he'd left his headwear off to please Louis. 

 

Louis stared at him differently that night, as though he couldn't keep his eyes off him and wanted the memorise his picture. It was distracting and very difficult to think of anything but _Louis_ because Harry knew now how it felt to have Louis inside him, how it felt to be filled with him and loved by him and really he wanted it all to happen again really soon.

 

And for those t-shirts to be framed so he could remember this night forever. 

 

"Can we go home now?" He asked huskily once they finished up dessert.

 

Louis smiled and reached for his hand.

 

"Of course we can pretty," he assured

 

//

 

The way Louis undressed Harry and worshipped him with his lips was still something Harry found so overwhelming it stole the words from his lips and left only sounds. 

 

Tonight he wanted to kiss Louis and touch him with exactly the same reverence and care making sure none of his skin missed his lips, making sure Louis felt as loved as Harry felt in his arms, under him when Louis rolled them on the bed.

 

It seemed only right to Harry that he shifted to his hands and knees when the time came to move their passion on and Louis seemed to enjoy the animalistic element of that position still exact in his thrusts still gentle and easy no sign of roughness.

 

Harry grasped the sheet in desperate fists as Louis curled over him, reaching for his own arousal and when he circled his hardness Harry hissed and jolted back trying to take more, feel more...he just wanted Louis in his veins in his lungs instead of air.

 

He pliantly adjusted as Louis moved, kneeling back and resting on his heels and Harry had to fold his arms behind Louis' neck to stay connected to keep in sync and Louis' strong strong arms banded around his ribs before he thrust back in, deeper this time than before.

 

Harry whimpered and sank bank unable to control his submission there was something about being with Louis that just made him give up all semblance of control and he liked it. He liked that Louis fucked up into him while whispering sexy things in his ears. He liked that he tugged on his tail and splayed a hand over his belly as he took him over and over.  He liked that every thrust of Louis' body into his reminded him that this was where he belonged; right here in this man's arms being filled to the brim by him tenderly with lovingly tender thrusts.

 

"Yours," Harry whined arching his long body to change the angle at which he was being filled and-

 

"Yours,  Louis, " he choked as Louis hit just the right spot on each thrust.

 

"I could do this over and over...you have no idea how beautiful you look...all stretched out and helpless...taking me all in, huh...Every-last-inch..."

 

Harry felt his peak rise sharply, crying out Louis' name as it rose. He spilled over Louis' fingers and felt him ease out before his climax hit and Harry turned his head breathless with his orgasm to find out why but Louis' groan and the sweet tug against his tail fur answered his question. 

 

Louis rutted helplessly against the soft length of his tail as he emptied his seed there, lips pressing achingly tender and firm into Harry's back.

 

Harry sat back against him to stay close and Louis tightened his arms instinctively around Harry's waist.

 

"Are you okay?" Louis husked quietly among soft presses of his lips.  "Are you okay pretty?"

 

Harry nodded, unable to speak. Louis' fingers pushed into his thick hair, spreading across his scalp to reach for his antlers, tugging there gently and petting his ears. He felt Louis' breath there blowing sweetly to make him twitch in that way he did and Harry couldn't help his warm cheeks and happy smile.

 

Louis was stroking his belly gently with his other hand, still holding his tight with his elbows dug in Harry's sides.

 

"You're so beautiful, Pipkin, I could kiss you for hours...can I? Can I lay with you and watch you fall asleep?"

 

Harry fidgeted and turned in Louis' arms, curling into his chest, arms against Louis' breast bone as Louis drew him near; wrapping him up as he pressed lips to his temple soothingly.

 

"Hey, precious...come here," he hummed. "That's it, Pipkin...belong here in my arms don't you? Perfect fit..."

 

They sort-of fell sideways like that and Louis didn't worry about the sticky mess on their bodies or the bed as he closed his eyes and let Harry's even breaths and light purring lull him to sleep.

 

This was all he ever needed he realised and he'd never even known it. He let a smile slip to his lips, pressing them into Harry's hair as he twisted his head a little and he felt the reassuring press of his fawn ear against his neck.

 

"Mine," Louis breathed, agreeing with Harry's sentiments earlier while they were joined. "I'm yours, too, Haz," he added softly after.

 

Harry's soft bleat out of sleepy lips was affirmation enough.

 

//

Harry was putting dinner in the oven when the doorbell went and Louis was due home in the next couple of hours but he wondered who had come by- perhaps Niall was looking for some company?

 

He opened the door to find an unfamiliar lady there who called out 'Louis!' before he had the door fully open. She frowned when he stepped forward.

 

"Um...hi," he greeted shyly. "Louis isn't here right now..."

 

"And who're you?" She tilted her head curiously, arms filled with a baby who laid sideways and another older child peering up at him from her knee.

 

"Harry," he replied. "I'm Louis' boyfriend..."

 

"Oh..." her brows lifted and she smiled. "He kept you quiet...I'm Charlotte, his sister..."

 

Harry gaped, sucked in air and quickly touched his head, realising all too late that he hadn't covered his hybrid status before opening the door.

 

Charlotte waved a hand dismissively.

 

"Don't worry about that, me and the kids are used to all kinds," she assured. "Do you mind if we come in only Jason needs feeding and Anna here is pulling Barbie's hair out," she rolled her eyes.

 

Harry's gaze flicked to the small girl who stared at him curiously. He smiled, crouching down to her height.

 

"Do you want to come in and wash Barbie's hair?" He offered and the girl tilted her head, stepping forward hesitantly until she touched his hair, fingers wrapping around his antlers curiously and then curling around his ears. He stayed very still for the exploration, biting his lips and blushing shyly until his ear flicked in that way it did when he was being petted and the little girl's eyes widened and she giggled cutely.

 

"Baby deer!" she called happily and Harry stepped back to let her in.

 

"I'm so sorry," Charlotte murmured as she passed by him to come inside the house with Jason. "I'll try and explain it to her," she assured softly.

 

"It's okay," Harry mused softly. "She's right, I am a fawn..."

 

Charlotte smiled at him over her shoulder with the same eyes as Louis, regarding him astutely.

 

"You're very good-looking," she accused fondly. "I can quite see why Louis keeps you around..."

 

Harry dipped his head shyly, ears flicking with the attention and he led them to the bathroom so that Charlotte could wash up and carry out any other tasks needed.

 

"Can I help?" Harry offered as he watched her change Jason, unbuttoning her top to feed him.

 

Anna was already washing Barbie's hair with the bath taps, smiling proudly as she flipped the doll up, flicking water everywhere.

 

Charlotte tutted.

 

"Anna no!" she chided. "This isn't our bathroom, remember."

 

"Sorry Baby Deer," she chorused and Charlotte smiled wanly at the name-tag her daughter had chosen for her brother's boyfriend.

 

"We're fine Harry, tell you what, cup of tea would be lovely, why don't we join you downstairs in a minute?" Charlotte suggested.

 

"Okay, do you want anything to eat?" He asked naturally.

 

She smiled thankfully.

 

"Well we haven't had anything since lunch do you have any fruit juice or oat cookies?" She asked.

 

Harry nodded, heading downstairs to get some snacks together while Charlotte closed the bathroom door.

 

"Anna, you don't call him Baby Deer, do you understand?" Harry heard Louis' sister saying firmly. "His name is Harry. Call him Harry."

 

He smiled to himself as he headed to the kitchen.

 

//

 

He put together a small selection of sandwiches, cookies and fruit juices for the guests, inviting them into the living room while he checked on dinner.

 

"Will you stay for dinner?" He asked. "I've made enough for all of you..."

 

Charlotte smiled tiredly, looking beat now she'd sunk into the sofa.

 

"That sounds lovely, Harry. Do you think Louis can put us up for the night? I'm not sure I can face driving back in the dark..."

 

"You can have my room," Harry offered instantly and Charlotte gave him a curious quirk of her brow.

 

"You and Louis don't share?"

 

His ears lowered as he realised how that sounded.

 

"We do now...when I first moved in I-"

 

"Its okay," she put a hand up. "Its not my business. I'm glad he's happy, that's all that matters..."

 

Harry eyed Jason who was fussing in Charlottes arms and reached out to stroke a hand down the back of Anna's pretty hair as she knelt by the coffee table colouring in.

 

"do you want me to hold him for a bit?" He asked.

 

Charlotte looked at him bemusedly.

 

"A young guy asking to hold a baby?" She scoffed. "Never thought I'd see the day..."

 

Harry gazed at her, all green eyes.

 

"My age doesn't determine my nature," he pointed put and she nodded, impressed.

 

She lifted Jason up gently and passed him over, watching Harry expertly settle the baby in the crook of his elbow and she watched him, fascinated.

 

"You've done this before," she accused.

 

Harry shook his head, gazing at the baby boy with a soft look of love.

 

"He's gorgeous," Harry hummed, rocking him a bit as he grizzled.

 

Charlotte watched amazed as her sometimes-difficult son instantly settled in Harry's arms, comforted by the soft noise in his chest.

 

"Mummy, do Baby Deer's have babies?" Anna chirped up with a furrowed brow, pressing rather hard with her crayon to get the colouring just right for her picture.

 

Charlotte sighed and flopped back into the sofa.

 

"Honey, Harry has a name and I'd like you to use it." She said firmly.

 

"Does Harry the Baby Deer have babies?" She re-asked and Charlotte blushed embarrassedly at the question, rolling her eyes.

 

"She's only four," she murmured to Harry.

 

"It's really fine," he assured, besotted by the sleeping baby in his arms.

 

"Boys don't have babies, Anna, you know that," Charlotte reminded.

 

"But Louis is Daddy Deer and Harry is Baby Deer and one day he'll have baby deers of his own wont he?" She asked.

 

And-

 

Well, Charlotte was mortified.

 

"Maybe we wont stay the night," she said then. "I really am so sorry about this..."

 

Harry glanced at her with a soft smile, assuring her of his good humour.

 

"You know what, Anna?" Harry chimed in, soft and husky. "I love Louis very much and if we have babies of our own it'll make me a very happy man," he offered.

 

Anna turned and grinned at him, getting up to hug him around the neck and that's when Louis let himself into the house with a happy;

 

"Hey, pretty, I'm home!"

 

Harry smirked as Louis turned full circle to catch the scene in the living room and his brows lifted on his head slowly.

 

"Oh," Louis said. "Hi, sis..."

 

"Charlotte brought Jason and Anna to see you," Harry smiled sweetly at his boyfriend.

 

"Call me Charlie," Charlotte cupped Harry's knee and he nodded in acceptance.

 

Charlotte got up to hug Louis, grinning at him knowingly, pinching his cheek.

 

"You didn't tell us you'd gone and got a boyfriend," she chided happily. "a bloody sexy one at that!"

 

Anna gasped.

 

"Mum said bloody!"

 

"She said buddy," Harry quickly covered, touching her nose cutely. "Don't swear its rude..."

 

Charlotte turned from Harry to her brother with a knowing brow arch.

 

"Uh...tea, anyone?" Louis offered and Charlotte giggled, shaking her head.

 

"Harry already got us tea and afternoon munchies," she explained and Louis smiled proudly at his beau.

 

"He's amazing isn't he?" he smiled helplessly, eyes crinkling and lips stretching across his teeth.

 

"Can we talk for a moment?" Charlotte asked and Louis frowned at her worriedly.

 

"Uh...okay..." He shot a look to Harry as Charlotte went to collect up her children but Jason was being cradled in the crook of one elbow while Anna was leaned into his other side, surrounded by his arm as he flipped the pages of a book on her lap. Anna was looking at the pictures while Harry read the words quietly and all three were oblivious to the other two occupants of the room.

 

Charlottes jaw dropped in awe and Louis felt something hit him hard in the groin. Just what was sexy about finding his teen boyfriend playing daddy? He shook his head and ushered Charlotte through to the kitchen, satisfied that Harry didn't feel burdened by child-sitting duties while they caught up.

 

He turned to Charlotte once they reached the counter.

 

"Look, I know he's a-"

 

Charlotte stopped him with a finger to his lips.

 

"Its not about that," she assured of her need to talk.

 

Louis lifted a cautious brow.

 

"Oh."

 

"He's gorgeous Louis and seeing him with the kids--Wow." she shook her head. "You need to keep hold of that one..."

 

Louis nodded with pursed lips.

 

"I plan to..."

 

"But the reason I need to talk to you is because I need somewhere to stay...me and the kids, just for a few days," she explained.

 

Louis frowned.

 

"Is everything okay?"

 

Charlotte sighed.

 

"Not really. Alan and I had a fight about parenting Anna and I needed to get away." She admitted.

 

"What kind of fight?" Louis asked, cupping her arm gently.

 

"He thinks she should wear dresses and pink shoes and Anna likes dungarees and trainers. Its like he's embarrassed to take her out and show her off to out friends just because she's a tomboy. She's always liked her hair in a ponytail and preferred trousers but-"

 

Louis hugged his sister close.

 

"Hey, it's okay, Charlie...you can stay with us, it's fine," he assured.

 

She pulled away with a grateful smile.

 

"Don't you need to ask Harry first?" She suggested.

 

Louis shook his head. "I already know his answer."

 

Charlie nodded and took a deep breath for courage.

 

"You look beat," Louis observed softly. "Why don't you get an early night after dinner and let me and Harry see to Jason and Anna?" He suggested.

 

Charlie smiled warmly at the suggestion.

 

"I can see my children are more than safe in your hands, Lou," she agreed. "I might just take you up on that..."

 

"Good," Louis nodded. "It's about time me and Anna got to know each other better..."

 

The pair of them went back into the living room to find all three on the sofa snoozing. Charlie looked up to Louis quickly just in time to catch his fond smile and dreamy sigh.

 

"God, is he really mine?" He mused out loud.

 

Charlie poked her brother in the ribs.

 

"Stop staring and help me get our luggage in," she teased and Louis moved to do just that.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the comments everyone :)

There was a cot for Jason that Louis kept in the roof storage so he brought it down and let Harry set it up for the baby.

 

After dinner he'd taken Jason off to bathe him and settle him for the night while Louis stayed up a bit longer with Anna, combing out her hair and helping her select her pyjamas for the night.

 

"Those ones," she pointed to some baseball shorts and shirt-style set that no doubt came from the boys department. He smiled proudly.

 

"Good choice, Anna," he nodded, helping her get dressed.

 

"How long have you had the Baby Deer?" Anna asked and Louis' lips fell apart at the way she asked the question.

 

He chuckled, a little breathless at her honesty.

 

"Harry's been my boyfriend for a few months now," Louis said in reply.

 

"He's so pretty," she looked up at him with big blue eyes, her caramel hair and sweet face making her look angelic.

 

"Yeah he is," Louis nodded in agreement.

 

"I stroked his ears," she cast happily. "They danced, Uncle Louis!" She giggled.

 

Louis pressed his lips together and kissed into her hair.

 

"I know, he's pretty special," he commented.

 

"Daddy thinks I should wear dresses," she said then with a thoughtful frown. "What do you think Uncle Louis?"

 

Louis swallowed, letting out a soft breath.

 

"I think you should wear whatever you feel comfortable in," he offered.

 

"Daddy said these are boys clothes and I'm a girl," she repeated the words but they clearly meant nothing to her because she looked confused.

 

"It's okay to wear boys clothes," Louis assured. "And if you see a boy wearing girl's clothes, that's okay too," he added.

 

Anna nodded.

 

"My best friend Richard wears my dresses," she confided.

 

Louis smiled.

 

"He does? That's great..."

 

"He looks really pretty in them," she considered. "Prettier than me..."

 

"Prettier than you?" Louis doubted, kissing her cheeks gratuitously. "Nobody is prettier than you...."

 

She giggled and batted him away, looking up as Harry came into Louis' room with Jason tucked into his elbow.

 

"Uncle Harry!" Anna called, sliding off the bed to hug his leg.

 

"Hi," Harry stroked down her hair in greeting. "You should be sleepy by now..." he warned.

 

She pouted and crossed her arms.

 

"I want a bedtime story."

 

"I want doesn't get," Harry quipped back.

 

She softened, peering up at him and leaning her front into his knee.

 

"Please Uncle Harry?"

 

Harry made a great show of considering her plea, his ears flat in 'thinking' mode. They sprouted up when he was done and she giggled cutely.

 

"Alright, get your favourite story book," he allowed, looking to Louis as she sprinted out of the room.

 

"I'll put Jason down now and take Anna through after story time?" He checked and Louis didn't know why he felt insecure suddenly because it was obvious from the moment Charlie had arrived that Harry was a natural with children.

 

Louis could only nod as Harry's lanky form disappeared through the doorway and returned being tugged by a small girl.

 

"Uncle Louis, you sit here," Anna patted one side of the bed. "Uncle Harry, you sit here...I'll sit in the middle," she explained. "To stop you being mushy in the middle of the story..."

 

Harry flicked Louis an amused look and stuck his tongue out, curling an arm around Anna and Louis slipped his across Harry's shoulder to bring them into a circle of three.

 

"Once upon a time," Harry began, checking the cover quickly and not recognising the tale. "There was a brave knight called Felicia," he read and already he knew why Anna liked this story so much.

 

He read in even tones, smiling whenever Louis kissed his temple and whenever Anna kissed his hand. She drifted off before the book ended and he gently picked her up to carry her though to the other room, looking to Louis.

 

"Did you-?" He checked as an afterthought.

 

"No, you go," Louis assured.

 

And Harry put Anna to bed beside her mother with a soft kiss to her cheek and the tickle of an ear to make her smile sleepily to herself.

 

He headed back to Louis' room with a fond grin.

 

"They're amazing," he said.

 

Louis nodded, snuggling up with Harry in the bed, arms around his waist as their foreheads met. Louis couldn't help stroking his ears, slipping his hand down to cup his butt where his tail shifted in recognition of the attention.

 

"Charlie needs to stay for a few days if that's okay..."

 

Harry licked his lips.

 

"It's more than okay..."

 

"I guessed that," he smiled with crinkled eyes.

 

Harry dipped his chin.

 

"I love babies," he admitted shyly.

 

"They love you, too," Louis observed.

 

Harry dimpled.

 

"I've never had the chance...to have nephews and nieces," he said excited at the prospect.

 

Louis kissed his lips gently.

 

"What's mine is yours," he promised.

 

Harry nestled closer.

 

"I love you," he murmured.

 

"I love you, Pipkin," Louis returned, settling down to sleep.

 

//

 

Anna was selecting baking ingredients in the baking aisle while Harry toted Jason in a harness on his chest, murmuring questions to the baby as he stared at him with wide blue eyes and gurgled noisily.

 

"Do you think Louis likes plum tomatoes or baby tomatoes?" He hummed.

 

Jason blew bubbles in his spit.

 

"What about Mummy? Does she like salad leaves or should I just get plain iceberg?"

 

Jason pressed his bubbly lips into Harry's t-shirt.

 

"Remind me never to bring you shopping," Harry murmured as he turned to check on Anna, seeing her sitting at the bottom of the rack playing 'eeny meeny miny mo' with the boxes arranged there.

 

He headed over, head-scarf wrapped into his curls as his ears rested casually behind it.

 

"What's the choice?" He asked.

 

"Lemon cake, Chocolate fudge cake, fairy cakes or Madeira," she recounted. "What's Madeira?" She looked up to gain her reply.

 

Harry smiled.

 

"It's the same as a fairy cake but a big one," he described and she frowned in concentration.

 

"Which one do you think Mummy will like more?"

 

Harry pulled out a box from waist-height that Anna hadn't seen.

 

"What about this one?"

 

"Buttons cake!" She gasped. "Uncle Harry that's perfect!" She hugged his leg and he chuckled, rubbing her little back.

 

A tutting noise brought Harry's gaze away from the girl towards shopper further down the aisle.

 

"Disgusting," the stranger muttered and Harry knew right away what this was about.

 

He quickly shielded Anna with his hand, guiding her toward the till.

 

"Come on, Anna, let's finish up shall we?" he suggested.

 

"Animals!" The stranger hissed at Harry's back. "With human children! It's all wrong!"

 

Harry paused and closed his eyes, that age old feeling of rejection filling his chest. He'd just never be accepted by some people and actually, he could imagine that he'd be a dad one day maybe a really good one but there would always be people like this. And no child deserved to see contempt and discrimination. No child deserved to be knowingly put into a world where that would be common-place.

 

"Anna, can you go to the counter with the basket, please?" Harry asked and Anna was frowning, arms crossed as she turned around toward the stranger, thunder on her face.

 

"Ex-cuse me," the little girl spoke with far more assurance than Harry felt and she was only four. "But that's awfully rude of you to call us names," she glared. "Didn't your mother ever teach you to be nice?"

 

Harry choked out an amused breath of wonder at the little girl's outburst and flicked his eyes to the other adult who huffed and scurried off down the aisle to escape the confrontation. He bent down to put the basket on the floor, hugging Anna one-armed as he steadied Jason in the harness.

 

"Come on, let's go home," Harry suggested and they headed out.

 

//

 

Anna had a head-scarf in her hair to match Harry's as she stood on a stool to reach the counter to make her cake. She'd also picked out her black leggings and a grey top when they'd got back that matched his outfit of black jeans and grey tee and Harry couldn't help smiling at her warmly as she looked over at him while he made pizza and salad for tea.

 

"What?" She pouted her little lips confusedly.

 

"Nothing," he assured, checking on Jason who was fast asleep in the carrier which he'd set securely on the wooden table.

 

"She was rude," Anna said of the woman in the supermarket.

 

"She was," he nodded.

 

"And it wasn't nice to say that," she added.

 

"No it wasn't," Harry mused.

 

"You're my Uncle and I don't care if you're a Baby Deer because I like you." She stated.

 

"I like you too," Harry returned.

 

Anna struggled with opening the packets for her cake so Harry went over to help, watching her mix the ingredients together carefully.

 

"Uncle Louis said it's okay for me to wear boys clothes," Anna said then and Harry was a bit lost.

 

"Oh," he lifted his brows. "Well of course it is," he added as she stared at him for confirmation.

 

"My friend Richard wears my dresses and we swap outfits," she confided.

 

Harry smiled at that.

 

"Sounds fun..."

 

"I like dressing like you, Uncle Harry."

 

Harry kissed her hair.

 

"I like it, too."

 

"Can I stroke your ears?" She asked and Harry couldn't have said no if he tried. He knelt down so she was taller than him on her stool and she placed floury hands on his fawn-ears and petted them cutely with little fingers and a soft smile.

 

"Uncle Louis is so lucky," she sighed as Harry playfully flicked his ears from her fingers and she caught them up in her small hands again with a giggle.

 

"Why's that?" Harry wondered.

 

She pouted.

 

"He gets to play with your ears every day..."

 

Harry choked out a laugh, biting his lip against saying something completely inappropriate.

 

"I wasn't sure he'd like my ears at first, you know," he shared softly.

 

She gaped, eyes wide.

 

"No way!"

 

"Yes way," he nodded.

 

"But Uncle Louis is the coolest!" She argued.

 

Harry smiled. "He is."

 

She smirked. " _I_ knew he'd like your ears," she stated smugly.

 

Harry regarded her with a fond look, helping her pour the cake batter into tins.

 

"How did you know that, Anna?" He wondered.

 

"Because I like them and Uncle Louis couldn't possibly not like anything that I like," she stated sensibly.

 

"Ah, good point," Harry nodded along.

 

By the time the cake was done and dinner was ready for the oven, Harry was exhausted. Charlie and Louis had gone out together for the day and Harry fell asleep on the sofa with Anna curling in next to him and Jason in the carrier on the floor.

 

Louis and Charlie came in to find all three asleep once more and Charlie quickly relieved Harry of her offspring, kissing his temple as he sleepily blinked his eyes open.

 

"Oh I didn't fall asleep did I?" He panicked. "Are they okay?"

 

Charlie carried a sleepy Anna on one hip and the handles of the carry seat in her other hand.

 

"They're fine and thank you so much for watching them..." she added.

 

Harry smiled and nodded as Charlie headed upstairs with her sleeping children.

 

Louis leaned down to kiss Harry's sleep-messed hair, slipping beside him on the sofa as he sat up.

 

"Someone in the supermarket made a comment about me today and Anna defended me," he shared. "She's so clever for a four-year-old..."

 

Louis frowned, bringing Harry closer by cupping his neck, kissing his lips insistently, sweet and longing.

 

"Who was it and what did they say?" Louis asked when he was done kissing Harry's beautiful lips. He stared at them still, thinking he might never be done.

 

"A lady...she was just-" Harry sighed. "She seemed to think I was an animal and I shouldn't be looking after human children..."

 

Louis stiffened, his face turning to thunder exactly like Anna's had that afternoon in the store. Harry awed at the similarity.

 

"Wait till I find out who it was," Louis promised darkly.

 

Harry kissed his forehead.

 

"We can't kill everyone who hates me," he counselled.

 

"Why not?" Louis quipped, completely serious.

 

Harry kissed at his lips until he gave way, making appreciative noises in his throat at the feel of Harry's mouth on his and Harry curled Louis into his arms and leaned forward to press Louis' back into the sofa and Louis quickly adapted, bringing Harry down with him, letting the younger man lead the charge.

 

They were wrapped up in messy alternating limbs as they kissed for long, sweet moments, never letting their passion rise beyond the soft pleasure of delicate touches. Louis' fingers found Harry's butt quickly enough but he brushed the backs of his fingers against the seat of his jeans to replace feeling his fur.

 

"Soon?" He hummed in question, kissing Harry's jaw and sucking an owning little mark there.

 

He eyed Harry with a smug smile as the fawn blushed.

 

"Your sister will see that," he grumbled.

 

"Good," Louis smiled.

 

Speaking of Charlie she tumbled down the stairs with a happy hum and paused as the two men on the sofa tried to untangle themselves quickly before she arrived.

 

"Oops," she turned away with a smile.

 

Louis rolled his eyes.

 

"It's okay, we're still dressed," he teased and Charlie gave him a knowing smirk over her shoulder.

 

"Makes a change." she quipped. "I remember when you used to spend your teens in your board shorts and not much else," she winked at Harry.

 

Harry turned an interested glance to his boyfriend, nudging up under his chin and licking his neck as Charlie came to join them in the living room, She smiled at their affectionate display.

 

"Harry doesn't need to know what I did in my teens," Louis assured amusedly.

 

"I do, I do," Harry grinned at Charlie and she stood up and took his hand.

 

"Let me help you with dinner?" She suggested.

 

"It's all done, but you can sit and talk while I put the oven on," Harry suggested and they both left Louis in the living room with a rueful look.

 

He headed upstairs to change before dinner.

 

//

 

Harry cradled Jason so beautifully. He talked to him while he was changing his nappy. He blew raspberries on his baby smooth skin and cupped his ears over Jason's head playfully.

 

Jason was a giggling bouncy boy with Harry as his minder.

 

Anna was suddenly wearing black most days, deliberately waiting until after breakfast to change out of her pyjamas so that she could see what Harry was wearing and he'd let her steal a couple of his hats for the days he felt like hiding.

 

They were there a week when Charlie had a heart to heart with Alan and a compromise was set; a return date finalised.

 

"We're heading off tomorrow," she told Louis and Harry at dinner although they'd both guessed.

 

Anna pouted and even Jason grizzled from his carry seat.

 

"It's been great having you," Louis said. "You can come anytime you like..."

 

Charlie nodded.

 

"Thank you both so much for your hospitality," she appreciated.

 

Harry seemed to take the news the worst, cradling Jason for the rest of the night until his bedtime and curling up with Anna on the sofa while she showed him her pictures she'd been working on all week.

 

"And this is when I first met you...and this is you and Uncle Louis...and this is you holding Jason when he was sick on you..." She placed each drawing in Harry's lap as his eyes got wetter and wetter.

 

The drawing of him and Louis was amazing. Every picture had his ears and antlers and they were holding hands in the joint picture, smiles wide. Harry hoped that's how he looked because it was how he felt, happy and content.

 

He sniffled and tried not show his upset at the children leaving but Louis had to cuddle him to ease the pain of parting and when Harry finally let the kids go to bed Louis made love to him, quietly as they spooned intimately and shared the intensity of that position, close and tight and excruciatingly sexy.

 

Louis couldn't help kissing him, found a hundred places he'd never kissed before or maybe he had but he had to kiss them again anyway because every inch of Harry was just too beautiful to ignore and being inside of him was out of this world, it floored him every time and left him feeling so vulnerable. Harry brought him to his knees and made him come undone with his caring nature and paternal instincts and his sexy body and sweet, animal traits. Everything about Harry was addictive and Louis was already an addict, happily in need of more, more, more.

 

"We'll get our own one day, okay?" Louis whispered as he rocked his hips, pushing deep into him. "However many you want...you can be Daddy, make sure they're all fawns, yeah?"

 

Harry groaned out helplessly and tucked his knees either side of Louis' so Louis could drive that little bit deeper into him.

 

"Yours," Harry gasped and Louis wasn't sure if he meant their children or just in general.

 

"Harry," he spread his hand on his belly, bucking up close and slow so it was strong, deep and so, so intense. "Do you want that? Do you want our own one day?"

 

Harry shook his head, bleating out as his pleasure overwhelmed his body, a slave to Louis' touch, to Louis' loving.

 

"No?" Louis dragged his lips through Harry's hair to his ear. "Why not?"

 

Harry couldn't really formulate words right now, let alone think on subjects like having children but really Louis deserved to know why he'd rejected the idea so he knew it wasn't personal.

 

"You can be daddy...don't want them to be bullied like I was," Harry admitted.

 

And if Louis wasn't that close to making Harry come then he would have had a few words to say about that comment, but he was that close and just a few more drives of his hips would have Harry-

 

Harry choked out his relief as his body finally gave way; his climax spurting onto the bed as Louis' released into his body. He could feel Louis' belly rubbing up against his tail as they'd writhed together and he flicked the soft mound to tickle him between their bodies.

 

Louis groaned weakly and burrowed his cheek into the pillow, arm tight around Harry's waist where they lay connected still and spent.

 

"I want baby Harry's," Louis admitted when his breath returned to normal, when he could kiss Harry's pure white skin again.

 

"They'd always be victimised," Harry argued.

 

"They'd have us," Louis replied.

 

Harry sighed out at that. _Us_. A unit, strong and united. He imagined a baby version of himself running about, remembered his toddler pictures, a boy with thick brown hair and ears poking out, antlers only small stubs back then. The memory made him smile and he imagined the same features on a girl, could see his big green eyes featuring and maybe Louis' mischievous smile or his own beautiful blue orbs on one of their children.

 

"Let's think about this when we're married," Harry suggested to ease the discussion.

 

Louis hummed in agreement, still holding him close. He was flaccid now but still partly connected to Harry.

 

"Good idea..."

 

Harry arched a brow, not actually expecting Louis to take that comment seriously since he had been joking but still. It was nice to think Louis had thought about marrying him.

 

"Louis?"

 

"Hmm?"

 

"Make love to me?"

 

"I just did unless you missed that," Louis husked.

 

Harry pulled away to ease Louis from his body and he gently pushed him onto his back, straddling his hips.

 

"Make love to me again?" Harry asked.

 

Louis cupped his neck, smiling wolfishly.

 

"You gonna keep me quiet, pretty? We all know I can wake up this whole house with my screaming..."

 

Harry grinned and blushed leaning down to kiss him.

 

"I'll try," he promised as Louis rolled Harry beneath him.

 

//

 

Harry and Anna were wearing matching blue jeans and white t-shirts as the little girl clung to his tall body enveloped by his hug. Louis should probably feel hard done by but his niece hugged him for just as long and told Louis to play with Harry's ears every day for her.

 

Louis had petted Harry's ears just to make him blush. Harry spent a teary eyed moment with Jason and when Charlie finished with Louis she gave Harry an extra fond squeeze. 

 

"Thank you for welcoming us," she appreciated.  "My brother has good taste," she added.

 

Harry watched Anna cry as she was led to the car and blew her lots of kisses and Louis brought him down into a fond headlock to comfort him once the trio had left

 

"We'll see them soon," he assured the younger boy.

 

"I might do child minding as my part time job," Harry considered

 

Louis smiled at him.

 

"Sounds perfect."


	10. Chapter 10

Louis' treatment of Harry at the hospital had become somewhat well known. Although there was nothing complex in the medical sense of treating hybrids; the animal aspect of hybrid patients was still something to be mastered.

 

The fact Louis had successfully treated a _fawn_ known to be the most skittish of all hybrids was something of an accolade. 

 

His bosses wanted their hospital to have specialist treatment facilities for hybrids. They wanted Louis to train for it. They wanted him to head up the department and pick a team to work with him.

 

He chose Sophia and Zayn right away and he stole Liam under the guise of 'specialist' security.  He was still considering relief doctors when their first patient was referred.

 

Aiden was a foal. Which was ironic considering that's what Louis had assumed Harry to be originally.  Now that Harry had two beautiful antlers growing-already the half height of his ears- distinguished him from the horse family but Aiden was just as skittish if not quite as cute.

 

He came in with a skin condition that Louis needed time to figure out. He was used to ER; a fast and urgent form of medical care as opposed to investigation but this new role meant no night shifts.  He was always home early to greet Harry which meant more nights wrapped together on the sofa and more sex in those night time hours. 

 

Louis had told Harry about the project but It wasn't until Harry came to one of the Friday night gatherings with Louis' workmates that Aiden's name was mentioned. 

 

"Who's Aiden?" Harry looked at Sophia for the answer since Zayn made the joke about their ears being similar and Harry still didn't trust the dark haired man completely as he seemed to like Louis a bit too much for Harry's liking.

 

Sophia rolled her eyes. 

 

"He's one of our new patients," She explained.  "A foal."

 

Harry frowned a bit at that.

 

"He has my ears?"

 

"Not really. .." She smiled, cupping his knee. "Kinda," she added after.

 

"What does he look like?" Harry wondered. 

 

"Handsome, " Zayn said and Sophia smacked his thigh which consolidated Harry's opinion that he _liked_ Sophia and didn't entirely like Zayn.

 

"He's got ears like a horse and a strip of hair down his back like a mane...his eyes are big and brown too he's kinda cute to look at but," She made a face. "He plays on it way too much."

 

"What's wrong with him?" Harry wondered. 

 

"We can't really talk about it," she apologised while Zayn went through his phone.

 

"Here!  Here's a picture. .."

 

Sophia gave Zayn a warning glare but he obliviously ignored her while Harry took the phone.

 

A guy with brown hair in a stylish quiff smirked back at him, black strip dyed down the centre of his head like a Mohican that ran onto his neck. He had big brown eyes that Harry agreed were very cute but his smile was crooked and verged on devilish. 

 

"How old is he? "

 

"Twenty-two I think, " Zayn answered and this time Sophia scuffed him.

 

"Shut up Zayn," she chided. 

 

Harry stared at the picture of the hybrid foal and wondered if Louis found the man attractive. He was closer to his age and didn't have horns but he had fur on his back that Harry could imagine might be nicer than a stupid tail.

 

He tilted his head at the idea of ears without horns and he wondered if there was an operation that would get rid of his permanently. Aiden did look cute and Harry thought maybe that's because he had nice little ears without bony prongs sticking out with them ruining his cute look.

 

Harry hugged his arm into his body self consciously wishing he'd brought a hat instead of wearing a headscarf.

 

"Hey Li, do you have a beanie I can borrow? " Harry asked the other man as he got out of his seat and headed for the toilets.

 

Liam pulled a knitted hat out of his back pocket and Harry thanked him and headed to the bathroom to slip it on.

 

//

 

He'd found some coins in his pocket to use in the vending machine in the men's toilets to buy the razors he would break open just for the blade. They were packaged for emergency shaving but Harry spit open the plastic with breathless panic.

 

The sting that he should have felt he was numb to. He'd done this enough times and had the faint stripes of scars to prove it. Louis sometimes ran his thumb over those small ridges when they were playing with each others hands. Sometimes he kissed them, too.

 

Harry closed his eyes as the red pressed through the cuts he'd made and he had no way of hiding what he'd done, no way of getting out without everyone knowing.

 

He began to cry because he was a failure. He wasn't cute and brown eyed. He wasn't foal-eared with a pretty mane.

 

He had _horns_.  And a _tail_. And stupidly big green eyes that freaked people out at first. 

 

And he couldn't even go out with Louis' friends and not do something stupid. Like embarrass him by cutting himself. 

 

He sobbed into his hand that clutched the blade; the open packet and broken plastic cast messily on the floor.

 

He knew he was in trouble the second the men's toilet door opened.  He quickly locked his cubicle and held his breath.

 

"Hey beautiful are you in here? " Louis called hesitating as he noticed a locked door. "Haz, is that you?"

 

Louis walked over and ducked his head down low, spotting booted feet and black jeaned thighs.

 

Harry was sat on the floor.

 

"You not feeling well?" Louis asked with concern.  "We can go home if you want..."

 

Harry couldn't suck his pain in any longer.  His chest was tight and his throat ached with it. His sob was loud and echoed in the empty room.

 

Louis leaned on the door with one hand.

 

"Pretty, will you open the door for me?" Louis asked. 

 

"Can't, " he cried.  "You can't see...can't see me..."

 

Louis made a bemused face. 

 

"Haz, what's going on?" He wondered.  "What's happened? "

 

As much as Louis hated hearing Harry cry- _and it had been a while since he last had so he'd almost forgotten what it felt like_ -he needed to get to the bottom of the problem to fix it.

 

"Come on, Haz open the door," Louis begged. "Whatever it is I promise I won't mind..."

 

Harry determinedly ignored him.

 

"Is it something new?" Louis wondered.  

 

Harry could mention his weird four nipples but Louis already knew about them. What he didn't know about was the blood seeping from Harry's wrists into the thighs of his jeans where he pressed them.

 

"Harry, I love you okay? No matter what, I promise."

 

Harry worked on keeping his tone steady. 

 

"Even if I did something stupid?"

 

"Yes even then."

 

"Even if you were really disappointed in me? "

 

Louis sighed. 

 

"Not possible,  next?"

 

"Even if there was another hybrid with my ears and no horns? "

 

"Harry what-" Louis began then sucked in a breath.  "They're _antlers_ not horns.  And you can grow a stags pair and I'd still bloody love you so would you _please_ open this door?"

 

Harry reached up and slid the lock back and the first thing Louis saw was blood.  Smeared across his cheeks and watered down with tears, smudged across his inner arms and shaky hands and streaked onto the front of his jeans where his bleeding cuts had evidently been laying. 

 

He blinked with widened eyes and gave up his medical instinct to heal in favour of his _boyfriend_  instinct to protect. He quickly dropped to his knees and gathered Harry into his arms having to half crawl over him to achieve it since Harry's long legs were sticking out in front of him.

 

Louis pressed his lips to Harry's temple and cupped the back of his head as he cradled him in strong capable arms. He noticed the addition of the beanie but didn't comment on it.

 

In fact he had no idea what to say because his heart was broken but he had to pretend it wasn't so that Harry wouldn't feel bad.

 

"Why didn't you come and find me?" He beseeched. "We could have talked. ..I love you so much Harry I never want you to hurt like this, do you understand? "

 

Louis captured a breath in his lungs as tears threatened in his own eyes.

 

"What made you do this, Pipkin? Was somebody rude to you?"

 

Harry shook his head, still crushed into Louis' arms tightly; unable to move. Louis shifted back then as he straddled Harry's legs.

 

"Do you need a pen and paper?" Louis asked. 

 

"He's very cute," Harry said.

 

And-

 

"Who?" Louis wondered.

 

"Is it nice without horns?" He asked.  "I bet he looks nice..."

 

"Harry who are you-"

 

"He doesn't even have an ugly tail, " Harry smiled wanly. "Just some beautiful fur on his back in a stripe..."

 

"For god's sake Harry it's _you_ I'm in love with!" Louis shouted.  "I don't know who you're talking about but I wouldn't care if David fucking Beckham walked in right now and wanted me because it's too fucking late!" Louis raged and he maybe hadn't sworn that much since Harry had met him.

 

"It's too late because I love _you._ Every breathtakingly beautiful inch..." He husked, cupping Harry's face and moving his hands to rip off the beanie and touch Harry's ears and antlers with loving hands.

 

"Every-beautiful-inch," he placed kisses there on the hidden parts between his words.

 

Harry stared at his thighs.

 

"Are you disappointed in me?" He asked.

 

Louis crushed him back into his hard arms.

 

"No of course not I'm just sorry you feel hurt. That you _are_ hurt. Who were you talking about?" Louis wondered.

 

Harry swallowed.  "Aiden."

 

Louis frowned trying to place the name and then-

 

"My _patient?_ "

 

"I was your patient once."

 

Louis cupped Harry's face in his small hands.

 

"The second you came through those doors I knew you were more than just a patient...Harry I've never felt like this about anyone before," he shared.

 

Harry stared at him wide eyed. 

 

"I want marriage and babies with you remember?  You think any old half-breed gets my attention?" He joked huskily leaning up to kiss Harry's pretty ears and even more beautiful antlers. "It's always been you Pipkin...from the very start. " Louis promised. 

 

Harry was crying again and possibly felt even worse when Louis just held him protectively murmuring things about sexy tails and _unbelievable_ kisses and how he'd never eaten so well in his life.

 

Harry was shaking as Louis pulled away.

 

"I can't go out there like this," he husked.

 

Louis turned his wrists to have a look, his face becoming stony as he slipped into doctor mode.

 

"There's a first aid room right next door let me clean you up," he suggested. 

 

Harry nodded weakly and pressed his head under Louis' jaw.

 

 "Come on, beautiful, " Louis got up and led Harry out of the room.

 

In the end Louis stole Liam's hoodie so that Harry could pull the sleeves over his hands and when they left he walked in front of Harry clinging to the hoodie hem with a sneaky smile saying they'd had 'a little accident' in the bathroom which Zayn interpreted out loud as;

 

"You shot all over him didn't you Louis? "

 

To which Louis only smiled innocently. Luckily they got to leave quickly with the misconception because everyone assumed they were rushing home to fuck.

 

The ride home was of course slightly more sombre than a passion run would have been but Louis put the radio on and sang along even though he hated his voice because Harry's smile at hearing him sing was so damn perfect that Louis would have made him an album.

 

He ran his fingers into Harry's thick curls at every red light and it wasn't long before he was pulling into the drive.

 

Harry rolled into bed in his tee and hoodie shucking only his jeans as Louis put on a fresh tee with boxers before spooning behind Harry's big body. 

 

"Goodnight, gorgeous, " Louis hummed stroking through Harry's hair and cupping his fawn ears.

 

Harry didn't flick them just let them lay sadly sideways on his head.

 

"Yours, " Harry breathed as he closed his eyes and gave into the dark.

 

//

 

Louis dug out his wristbands from his  drawer for Harry to cover his bandages with and he wrapped him up warmly in his thick wool jacket and a scarf leading him down the lawn and into the woods with a picnic basket hanging off his other arm

 

Harry's ears were low and his gaze was low but he let Louis lead him and didn't feel the need for a hat.

 

It was a bright if chilly morning and the air was fresh and sweet. As they were entering the woods a caterpillar dropped onto Harry's lapel from a tree and he watched it unfurl and crawl across his jacket with bemused smile.

 

Nature was so beautiful no matter how tiny.

 

Harry stopped Louis while he found safe haven for the caterpillar,  grasping his hand when he was done.

 

"Want to babysit those too?" Louis asked and-

 

His eyes were so bright with mischief and he looked so happy to be there breathing in air. Harry wished he felt the same and that Louis didn't have to put up with him sulking 

and being miserable. 

 

And he wished Louis had a better boyfriend altogether sometimes.  A guy who could take care of himself _and_ Louis. A guy without issues that hurt the people he loved.  A guy Louis didn't have to fix every time he fell apart. 

 

But Louis was his really and he selfishly didn't want to let him go. 

 

"Hey look at that," Louis pointed to the tree tops as they walked hand in hand.  

 

A red kite settled on the high branches of a conifer and looked grossly out of place like a giant pigeon perching on a tiny wire.

 

"I think the branch is bending," Louis smirked. "Bit big isn't he?"

 

Harry met his gaze and nodded; sucking his lower lip submissively.

 

Louis' gaze rested on his face a moment and then he tugged at Harry's hand.

 

"Hey I hope that isn't a pout I see," he warned.  "I'm not taking apologies today okay?"

 

Harry misread his meaning and darted his eyes to Louis' with a horrified stare.

 

Louis cupped his fawn ear and kissed the back of it.

 

"What I mean is, you have nothing to be sorry for," he murmured lowly.

 

Harry dived into Louis' side butting his head under his chin and Louis merely tucked an arm around his waist to secure him there while they walked,  roaming his chin in Harry's hair until it fit nicely between his ears and antlers. 

 

Louis hadn't shaved in a while and he'd grown a bit of a beard that Harry liked to run his fingertips through when they laid together on the sofa while Louis read to him. 

 

He planned to shave before taking Harry out for dinner tonight; he hadn't been expecting a diversion to that plan but he happily accepted it all the same.

 

"Hope you're hungry," Louis mused. "This basket weighs a tonne and I'm taking it back empty..."

 

Harry nodded against his shoulder and Louis smiled.

 

"Good. I made the sandwiches myself and everything. .."

 

And Harry couldn't help his humoured bleat at that.

 

"What?" Louis scoffed. "Hard work deciding what to put in them...this is a posh little picnic you know," he smiled.

 

Harry blinked wide eyes open as Louis brought them to a clearing at the top of a ridge. The view around them was stunning. Harry took it all in with a gentle sniff to the wind while Louis flapped out the blanket for them to sit on

Harry came and sat next to Louis as he unpacked his hamper, putting out paper plates and plastic cutlery with a proud smirk as Harry watched the sky.

 

He scratched lightly at his wrist as it began to itch a bit and stared at Louis while he was busy. 

 

Louis had the perfect cheekbones and thin lips that complemented Harry's perfectly.  He had sort of squinty eyes that boasted beautiful long eyelashes. His smile was wide and kind and his body was sexy and strong. 

 

Harry leaned over to catch Louis' bristled jaw in his hand, adjusting to reach so he could kiss his face all over. He ended up climbing into Louis' lap and straddling his legs, pressing his soft lips into his cheeks and where his eyes crinkled as he chuckled and fell back a bit to catch Harry in his lap.  Harry pressed kisses above his eyebrows and on his eyelids and into his fringe and prickly beard. He let his lips brush Louis' thin ones and paused there breathing warmth into that sensitive skin.

 

He brushed his thumbs down Louis' neck as Louis' hands tightened into his sides and then they were kissing. Because Louis waited and Harry leaned down to mesh their lips together and it became urgent suddenly that Louis kissed him back that he still wanted to kiss him, that he still _wanted_ him.

 

Harry had to prove that to himself that no matter what mistakes he made and no matter how much he hurt Louis; that Louis still wanted _this_ , wanted _him_ in the most basic sense and the way Louis was kissing him back made him believe it completely. 

 

It was cold but Harry didn't care that much as he wriggled out of his jacket and stripped off his jumper, tugging at Louis' jeans insistently to signal what he wanted.

 

"Harry it's freezing," Louis tried to resist among kisses but his hard arms banded around Harry and kept him right there in his lap and it wasn't long before Louis was fingering him with lube from a packet Harry produced, another sachet going on his hardness as Harry remained naked in his lap. 

 

"Like this, pretty? " Louis asked, clutching Harry's bicep and pushing his thumb into that mass and Harry nodded his affirmation.

 

When Harry sank down, Louis was embedded tightly into his body and their gazes met as their breath caught and shortened with the intensity of what they were sharing. 

 

Harry ran his hands over Louis' lovely chest, clutching at his shoulders as he worked himself in his lap, taking him deep and easing off as he lowered and rose with Louis' hands a strong hold on his waist to support his weight. 

 

Harry keened into him with a whimper as Louis kissed him again, reverently worshipping him with his lips. When their tongues flicked together it mimicked their bodies joining slow and sweet and deep. Louis' hands found and cupped his tail stroking through the fine fur; his fingertips gently pulling at Harry's ass cheeks to ease himself deeper within. 

 

Harry was swollen lipped and wide-eyed as the cool air pinkened his nose and drove him closer to Louis' body for warmth and Louis gladly clutched him there, arching his hips slightly to assist Harry's rhythm. 

 

Harry's peak was coming all too soon as Louis dipped his head to lick at his nipples and it ached in his chest with how much he loved him. He wasn't sure how he'd ended up with someone as amazing as Louis but the fact he was being loved by him was all too much.

 

Harry arched his back and took him deep, deep, deeper and Louis' noisy cries of pleasure were signal enough that he was close. Harry's body peaked as Louis kissed him deeply with tender regard and he felt the hot spatter of his seed hit his belly and opened his eyes to see it decorating Louis' torso.

 

Louis spurted hot and heavy inside him as he quivered in the aftermath, his thighs aching with the work out.

 

Louis was breathlessly muttering compliments and pulling Harry close to warm him.

 

"Put some clothes on, hm?" Louis murmured against his temple as Harry shivered.

 

Louis withdrew carefully as Harry climbed away and he helped Harry dress back snugly before dressing himself.  He cuddled Harry as he curled in his lap; big awkward body trying so hard to become smaller to gain Louis' embrace. 

 

Louis kissed the back of both of his ears with sweet lips and Harry giggled and hid his blushing cheeks by ducking his head grasping Louis' jacket lapels in his hands.

 

Louis grinned and rocked him enjoying every moment. 

 

"Wasn't that one of the rules," Louis squeezed his arms tightly around his beau. "Not to sit in laps?"

 

Harry nodded against his throat.

 

"I can see why, " he teased. "You're so bloody massive it's like a great Dane climbing on my legs..."

 

Harry squirmed closer and Louis pressed more kisses into his hair.

 

Eventually Harry got hungry and unfurled himself and they ate their feast sat close together breaths mingling as they talked.

 

Louis packed up the basket when they decided to head back and he took Harry's hand firmly in his while they walked.

 

It was quiet in the house when they came in and Harry put the music system on in the living room as Louis waited on the sofa for him to curl up and when Harry nudged under his chin Louis knew he wanted him to sing so he did and they fell asleep together softly on the sofa as the afternoon whiled away.

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is one more chapter and a short epilogue :)

Harry began to miss Jason and Anna in the coming days since they'd left and since his melt down and he asked Louis if they could visit Charlie soon so he could see them again so Louis called her one night when they were relaxed together on the sofa and she jumped at the chance of having them visit.

 

"Louis, that would be wonderful," she gushed. "We've all missed you and Harry," she admitted.

 

Louis smiled.

 

"Great, we'll be by Saturday," he confirmed.

 

Anna had cut her hair. It was short in the back with a long sweeping fringe and Harry grinned as he quickly bent to hug her and she ran into his arms.

 

"I'm just like Shiloh Pitt you know," she boasted and Harry combed his fingers through her fringe.

 

"You look like your Uncle Louis," he noted and she nodded proudly.

 

"Yep."

 

Louis hugged his sister and she led them inside where Jason was fidgeting his arms and legs about in his carrier and when Harry saw him his eyes got big and soft and his dimple appeared.

 

"Hey, cutie," he murmured. "How's my best nephew?"

 

Louis watched him fondly as he scooped Jason up and swooped around the room with him tucked into his arm. Charlie didn't seem to have any qualms about his boyfriend stealing her baby so Louis followed her into the kitchen as Anna tagged after him to sit in his lap.

 

Louis secured his arms around Anna's waist and kissed into her new, shorter hair.

 

"So, how's things?" Louis asked gently.

 

Charlie smiled.

 

"Better," she admitted. "As you can tell Anna wanted a boy's haircut so we had a bit of resistance over that but mostly Alan's beginning to understand," she assured.

 

Louis nodded. "Good."

 

"So when are you and Harry looking to have a family?" She asked knowingly with a wink.

 

Louis rolled his eyes as Anna studiously tried to untangle her favourite necklace that she laid in her lap.

 

"We probably need to think about committing first," he told her.

 

She nodded.

 

"You should do that soon before someone else snaps him up," she suggested.

 

Louis made a face at the suggestion.

 

"I have a plan, don't worry," he assured.

 

"Anna would love to see you more," Charlie said then. "Do you think we can do that?"

 

Louis lifted his brows.

 

"Well...Harry said about doing some child-minding part-time," he remembered. "Do you need help with that?"

 

Charlie smiled.

 

"They'd love that, to see him every day," she admitted.

 

Louis ruffled Anna's hair and she frowned but didn't deviate from her task.

 

"I guess I'm the uncool Uncle now," Louis pouted.

 

Charlie laughed.

 

"They love you too, you know they do..."

 

Louis nodded, knowing exactly how amazing his boyfriend was so he couldn't blame anyone else for wanting to be with him all the time because he felt exactly the same.

 

"The only thing is, Harry doesn't drive," Louis frowned.

 

Charlie shrugged.

 

"I can drop them at yours," she assured. "I'm going back to work part-time so I can bring them across before I go and pick them up right after..."

 

Louis nodded his agreement to that plan.

 

"Sounds good to me..."

 

"I'll ask Harry if he's interested," Charlie said as she carried a cup of tea through for the other man, finding Harry on the sofa speaking reverently with her son.

 

"...and all the little wood bugs crawled out of the log and cheered with happiness that the woodpecker had been scared away..."

 

Harry looked up, ears flattening as Charlie stared at him.

 

"Are you sure you're gay?" She asked.

 

And Harry blushed and nodded.

 

"Damn," she sighed. "Alan was almost out of a job then," she mused.

 

Harry smiled meekly.

 

"He's just amazing," he commended of the bundle in his arms.

 

"How would you like to take care of him for a few hours every day?" Charlie posed then.

 

Harry stared at her, lips parted.

 

He flicked his eyes to Louis who came in with Anna and she ran for the sofa to jump onto her knees, clutching at something in her little hands.

 

"Uncle Harry...Uncle Harry..." she called excitedly.

 

Harry cupped her head gently.

 

"Hang on, your mummy was talking to me," he explained gently.

 

"I'm going back to work in the afternoons and Louis suggested you might be interested in watching them while I'm working?" Charlie finished.

 

Harry's smile was slow and infectious.

 

"Yes," he nodded without pause. "Yes, definitely, yes..."

 

Anna gasped.

 

"Mummy! Can I have Uncle Harry as a babysitter?"

 

Charlie nodded and Anna hugged Harry around the neck awkwardly, hands still hiding her secret.

 

"This is my best day ever," she decided, pulling away.

 

"So what have you got for me?" Harry asked, brushing the back of his finger sweetly down her rosy soft cheek.

 

"My favourite necklace," she pulled at the two ends to bring it taut and she showed off a leather thong which had a silver antler pendant hanging from it.

 

Harry stared at her with tears in his eyes.

 

"That's yours?" He asked and she nodded.

 

"Mummy bought me it last Christmas," she explained and Louis looked to Charlie who nodded.

 

"She's always been obsessed with deers," she mused.

 

Harry took the necklace gently from Anna's fingers.

 

"Are you sure you want me to have it?" He checked and she nodded big.

 

"Yours will look like this one day," she stated confidently. "You're just a baby deer now but when you get big, you'll have awesome antlers just like this..."

 

Harry gave her a crooked smile and flicked a look to Louis.

 

"I can't wait to see them," Louis assured softly.

 

Harry bit into his lip to curb his emotional tears.

 

"Will you help me put it on?" He asked Anna and she nodded and stood up on the sofa to reach around the back of his neck, securing the leather necklace by its delicate clasp.

 

"There," she patted the back of his neck happily.

 

Harry smiled at her as she sat right by him, their legs touching and he noted her new black jeans and little converse shoes. Her top was a plain black t-shirt and he couldn't wait to dress like her again when he saw her every day.

 

They stayed for dinner and Alan joined the party of five; welcoming Louis' partner into the fold quite easily which was a relief since Harry wasn't sure how the man would feel- after all he didn't like Anna wearing boy's things so there was no telling what he thought about hybrids but just like Charlie he saw Harry had a natural talent with children and agreed to the babysitting arrangement easily.

 

//

 

Louis had another work seminar to attend a month later and he invited Harry to go with him this time.

 

Harry was very clingy with Louis still and didn't like to venture too far from his side especially in strange surroundings with people he didn't know very well and the doctors attending the seminar and staying at the hotel probably were a bit intimidating Louis had to admit.

 

Luckily he wasn't the only one to have brought his partner so when a group dinner was arranged he got ready happily with his beau, picking out a fitted dark grey suit with ankle length suit trousers and brogues to go with a tight jacket that finished just above his butt and dipped into his back nicely. He wore it with a white shirt and a black tie, styling his hair into a quiff having shaved his jaw finally of the beard he'd sported for months now.

 

When he caught up Harry's hand to lead him downstairs to dinner, his breath caught slightly in his throat. Harry had chosen a simple black pinstripe suit which suited his tall form and he wore it with a half-unbuttoned white shirt and a neck-tie tucked inside of it. He'd wrapped a black scarf into his hair and his pupils looked big and dark against the thin ring of green of his eyes.

 

Louis could have forgotten dinner right then and almost did, turning to secure his arms around Harry's waist for a moment while he kissed him repeatedly on the lips.

 

"I cant believe that you're mine...so beautiful...not leaving my side tonight Pipkin..."

 

Harry blushed a little at his words.

 

"Hazel-rah, we'll be late," Harry told him and it had been so long since Harry had used his nickname that Louis smiled widely at hearing it.

 

"Alright," he allowed the temporary diversion of dinner to interrupt his enjoyment of his boyfriend. "Let's eat," he decided.

 

//

 

Harry was so shy it was bordering on adorable but with careful introduction to his peers; and inclusion into topics he thought Harry would find interesting, he watched as the younger man soon got to grips with meeting people.

 

He seemed to fare better with the wives and girlfriends of the male doctors mostly because they petted his ears and doted on him- which Louis watched closely with something akin to jealousy burning in his chest- but he was pleased to see Harry feel secure in his surroundings as the night wore on.

 

A small dance floor occurred beside the dining table they'd been secured and some of the couples drifted there as the hours drew on. Louis watched as more and more of their table filled the space, twining fingers with Harry and lifting his brows suggestively.

 

Harry blushed and shook his head but Kendra, one of the ladies he'd become particularly close with, cupped his knee.

 

"Oh Harry, you simply have to!" She beseeched. "You have to show Louis off, it wont do to hide him away in this dingy old corner..."

 

"Nobody leaves Louis in the corner," Louis arched a brow teasingly and Kendra laughed.

 

"Exactly!"

 

"But actually it's me who'd like to show Harry off," he admitted of his boyfriend.

 

Louis stood up with a hitched breath, hoping he wasn't pushing Harry to far too fast in asking;

 

"Will you dance with me?"

 

Harry chewed at his lip and stood too, letting Louis lead him toward the small space designated for dancers and Louis soon had him tight in his arms, segueing them into the slow song with a slow circling dance. Harry felt awkward, the taller one in Louis' arms and yet hopeless to lead. He curved his long body and slipped his arms around Louis' waist, letting Louis adjust his own arms to have one across his broad shoulders and the other clasping his bicep with a mischievous lick of his lips. Soon Louis put both his arms around Harry's neck and pressed close, eyes crinkling as his smile increased and Harry gazed besotted at him as their eyes met and they just looked at each other, over and over as they twirled.

 

"Lou...I love you..." Harry pressed a kissed to Louis' cheek to punctuate his statement.

 

"I love you too," Louis murmured back, swapping his arms to Harry's waist as Harry folded around his shoulders, nosing into his neck.

 

Louis squeezed to keep him there.

 

"Love you so much, beautiful," he husked.

 

Harry hummed and relaxed into him; ignoring the people around them and his tendency to get his feet mixed up which made him falter sometimes but Louis held him nicely anyway so it didn't matter so much when he did stumble.

 

Louis kissed him, short and sweet as the music ended and the night began to roll up, couples going back to their rooms making jokes about keeping each other awake through the hotel-room walls and Louis ignored the banter as he took Harry up by the hand, pulling something out of his suitcase pocket as Harry slipped off his jacket.

 

"Haz?" Louis called him softly in the half-lit room, standing by the end of the four-poster bed nervously.

 

Harry had undone his cuffs to roll up his sleeves and came in front of Louis dutifully, taller but still wide-eyed and lips parted.

 

Louis ran his fingers into his hair to unravel the scarf, throwing it to the carpet as he held up the box.

 

Harry frowned, licking his lips.

 

"What is it?"

 

"Open it," Louis shuffled closer, squeezing a hand into Harry's side as he lifted the box to Harry's hands.

 

Harry took it and Louis rested his other hand at his waist also. Harry flipped the lid up and tilted his head as two rings peeped out at him.

 

They were both silver- matt not shiny- and both had hammered indents in the metal to give them an almost pebbled effect. They were charming in their simplicity and the opposite of showy.

 

"You can have it on a necklace if you like," Louis was saying, fingers playing into Harry's hair at his neck nervously. "I know you said you're not really a jewellery person but I couldn't let Anna out-do me could I? And-well it's about time, really," Louis swallowed. "I've been calling you mine for so long now and I want people to know it...and since I can't expect you to wear a t-shirt saying 'property of Louis Tomlinson' then this is the next best thing really. Do you like it? Do you think-"

 

Louis' babbling was ceased by Harry's lips. He kissed him for quite a long, charged moment until he pulled away to push the box back at Louis.

 

"Put them on?" He asked in a whisper.

 

So Louis did and Harry looked close to tears, body quivering and biting down on his lip hard which Louis pressed at with his thumb to release.

 

"It's okay to cry," he assured.

 

Harry's eyes were huge, the biggest Louis had seen them and his dimple was outrageous. He'd never looked more stunning and Louis wanted to wrap him up and keep him forever. He pulled Harry close instead and let the taller man's body bend to fit his.

 

They made love on the big bed, Harry's tears dampening their skin as they curled together intimately and it was slow and sweet and breathtaking the way they combusted when they came together. Harry was even more clingy the next day, wanting to keep their ringed hands joined and pushing his cheek under Louis' jaw in sweet affection for their shared love.

 

Louis knew a proposal wasn't far off, was only a natural progression but he'd already seen the ring he wanted and it was probably a bit too showy for a fawn like Harry but Louis wanted him to have a huge diamond on his finger to show off. He wanted to embarrass him with the big sparkler he'd fallen in love with. It perfectly complemented the rather understated commitment rings they now sported. But still, Louis was getting ahead of himself slightly.

 

He had lectures to attend and Harry wasn't letting go of him easily.

 

"Pipkin, I'll be back really soon, I promise." Louis kissed his temple and leaned up to kiss behind his ears like Harry liked. "Find something fun to do?" He suggested.

 

Harry pouted and licked him fondly, making Louis grin; inexplicably happily.

 

"I won't think about anything else while I'm gone," he shared softly so that Harry blushed shyly.

 

Eventually, he got Harry to agree to trying a spa with the ladies and Harry headed off with a sad dip to his ears and tail that Louis wouldn't notice.

 

//

 

 

Louis still wasn't sure how Harry managed it, but another fawn hybrid worked at the spa and Harry had become fast friends with the young man.

 

Louis came out of his lectures for the day finding the pair of them habituating one of the lobby sofas, eyeing each other with awe and testing animal parts with curious hands. It was weird for Louis to watch another guy touching Harry's ears. It was bad enough letting anyone else pet him let alone another guy.

 

He tilted his head as he approached.

 

"Found a friend I see," Louis greeted with a forced smile.

 

Harry looked up, eyes wide and so, so green. Greener than Louis had ever seen them. It irked him a bit that he hadn't been able to make Harry this happy yet. He swallowed down his bitter jealousy and lifted his chin as Harry stood.

 

"Lou, you're not going to believe this...Adam is nineteen and a fawn hybrid too," Harry shared.

 

Louis looked to the other boy. He was about his height with short hair that flaunted his ears and antlers and designer stubble decorating his jaw. He was more confident than Harry, had a rock-star edge to him that Louis noted with interest.

 

"I'm a second line breed," Adam explained quickly, offering his hand to Louis to shake. "Harry's been telling me all about your hospital..."

 

Louis licked dry lips.

 

"Oh?" he arched a brow. _Just_ about his hospital?

 

Adam seemed to recognise the tone of Louis' word and winked.

 

"And about your rings, of course..."

 

Louis graced Adam with a smile.

 

"Glad to hear it," he quipped.

 

Harry drifted to his side and clasped his hand, nosing at his throat.

 

"Adam is just like me, he even has a tail!" Harry shared.

 

Louis' brows rose as he turned toward his taller boyfriend.

 

"Is that so?"

 

"And look- he's not hiding anything," Harry gestured to the confident teen.

 

Adam shrugged a little bemusedly.

 

"Never been told I should," he offered.

 

Louis cleared his throat.

 

"Tell me, Adam, does anyone try and buy you?" He wondered.

 

Adam smirked.

 

"Any crazy talk like that gets shut down quite quickly," Adam admitted. "I'm a black belt in martial arts..."

 

Louis nodded with an amused grin.

 

"I can see that would definitely help," he commented.

 

"Lou, Adam has the afternoon off and you have that other lecture, right?" Harry checked.

 

Louis nodded, predicting what was going to be said next.

 

"He wants to show me around, would that be okay?"

 

Louis smiled at his beau, kissing his cheek sweetly to which Harry dimpled.

 

"You can do whatever you want to, remember?" He assured.

 

"But would be it okay?" Harry asked again. "With you?"

 

Louis' eyes crinkled as he smiled.

 

"Absolutely," Louis agreed.

 

Adam flicked a look from Harry to Louis, his fawn ears upright with clear excitement from getting to spend an afternoon with another hybrid.

 

"I'll make sure he comes back safe," Adam winked.

 

Louis nodded he appreciation to that intention and headed back into his second lecture after lunch with the two younger men.


	12. Chapter 12

Louis came upstairs to the hotel room to get cleaned up for dinner; not expecting Harry to be back yet but he walked in to find both Harry and his new friend fast asleep together on the bed, curled up facing and fully dressed.

 

He sucked in a relieved breath at that fact and tilted his head at the way their fawn ears overlapped on the pillow. He wondered what they'd been up to be so exhausted and it was a little disconcerting to see Harry so trusting with another man but he tried to control his possessive side for Harry's sake. Harry deserved to have friends. Ones he could feel close to in all kinds of ways.

 

Louis sighed. Who was he kidding? He was being eaten up from the inside wondering if Harry preferred 'his own kind'. Much in the same way Harry worried that Louis could never accept his animalism, Louis was now wondering if Harry could accept his lack of it. Maybe Harry would find an instant bond with Adam and a natural attraction to his own breed.

 

Louis pouted a little at that, looking to the bed again as if he might see something he had missed before. Like Harry holding hands with the other fawn. Or showing another loving gesture however small. He only saw two young men curled and asleep, the same as when he walked in.

 

"Lou?" Harry's ears stirred before he did and Louis jolted from his position staring at the bed.

 

"Just having a shower and changing for dinner, Haz," Louis murmured, setting about finding clothes from his suitcase.

 

Harry rolled onto his back, frowning confusedly at the scene.

 

"I didn't realise..." Harry mumbled, looking over at Adam in the bed. "Hey Adam," he poked him in the shoulder. "You have work soon, remember?"

 

Adam woke with a startled bleat, looking around quickly only to grin on seeing Harry followed by a stretch.

 

"Hey sorry, man," he extended to Louis. "We just lost track of time..."

 

Louis nodded with a polite smile.

 

"It's fine..."

 

Adam seemed to realise it wasn't quite 'fine' and ducked his head sheepishly.

 

"Catch you tomorrow, Hazza?" Adam checked before he opened the door to leave and-

 

Louis narrowed his lashes at that nick-name, pursing his lips in barely-disguised bemusement.

 

Harry saluted to the other boy before crawling off the bed to zombie-walk to Louis, wrapping him in his big arms.

 

"Can I shower with you?" Harry asked and Louis nodded against his shoulder, not holding Harry back like Harry obviously wanted him to.

 

"So he's calling you Hazza?" Louis asked lightly as he pulled away.

 

Harry blushed shyly at the nickname and followed Louis dutifully.

 

They undressed in the bathroom and slid under the warm water sluicing down. Harry curled his wide shoulders in and his pale skin was smooth and soft-looking under the water, his curly hair straightened and lengthened immediately by the weight of the water slicking it downward. His ears cupped low to protect them from the water and his lashes clogged with droplets which fell on his pink, perfect lips. Louis crowded in close to him, looking up where Harry looked down and he smiled gently as Harry's wide green eyes engaged with him- more moss-coloured than the emerald glow earlier but Louis accepted he wouldn't always be the one to make Harry glow. He just wanted to be that's all.

 

 

He tucked his arms around Harry's waist then, unable to resist the temptation to hold him. He let his hands tangle in the wet softness of his tail, cupping his butt cheeks tenderly as he sank them lower.

 

"I don't like Adam," Louis husked, low and quiet and Harry pulled away with the tiniest frown.

 

"Why?" Harry wondered.

 

Louis blinked, his lashes now wet, too and Harry cupped his face in his big hands.

 

"For the same reason you didn't like Niall and Zayn..." Louis shared with a pout.

 

Harry took a moment to work it out and when he did, he perhaps didn't react how Louis expected him to. The widest grin stretched Harry's lips crookedly across his teeth and his eyes lit up inexplicably at the realisation that Louis was jealous. It was like all Harry had ever hoped for was occurring in Louis' unjustified response to Adam's presence.

 

"Lou...are you jealous?" Harry asked, hope brightening his youthful face.

 

Louis nodded, avoiding Harry's gaze as his jaw was supported in Harry's hands.

 

"Do you..." He began uncertainly with a furrow above his brow. "Do you feel anything because he's like you?" Louis wondered.

 

Harry blinked, kissing away the dig above Louis' eyebrow sweetly, running his large hands down Louis' chest and onto his soft belly where he let his fingers flex gently.

 

"I feel a lot of things," Harry admitted. "Knowing that I'm not alone and that there's someone just like me who completely understands..."

 

Louis nodded, smiling sadly.

 

"But I don't feel about anyone the way I feel about you," Harry clarified softly, eyes searching out Louis' pair that were avoiding meeting his. "Louis...I'm in love with you..."

 

Louis did look up then, cupping Harry's waist as Harry's hands slid around his hips to squeeze his own ass-cheeks softly.

 

"My Lou..." Harry husked, licking into Louis' neck where the shower still beat down on them.

 

Louis wrapped his arms around Harry's neck and got to his toes to hug him tightly.

 

"Mine," he whispered as he held Harry fiercely. "My Harry..."

 

Harry nodded, weakly whining 'Yours' before he joined their mouths in a wet and meaningful kiss. They stumbled out of the shower sometime later and Louis gently dried Harry off, hand towelling his sodden hair into damp curls and he asked Harry quietly if they could miss a group dinner in favour of eating in their room and Harry had nodded his agreement, his tender gaze on Louis as he put his hand out for Louis to take and Louis took it, flicking confused eyes to Harry's momentarily but then Harry led him through to the bedroom and Louis was speechless at the fact it was Harry leading him for once.

 

Although Harry evidently enjoyed everything they did together- and sometimes intimated his want with nudges of his nose into Louis' jaw and sweet, sweet kisses, Louis couldn't remember him ever being quite this blatant and demonstrative.

 

And he was just as nervous, tremoring gently as he cupped Louis' face to kiss him but Louis melted into his arms, giving up everything he owned in that moment and handing it all to Harry. Sometimes he needed this, needed his boyfriend to be the strong one, to be the one who showed how in love he was, how attractive Louis was to him. He needed to lean on Harry like this when he felt weak and worried that Harry might leave him for another.

 

And Harry didn't disappoint in reassuring him. He may not have the words quite the way Louis had them, he may not have the tight protectiveness Louis displayed but his soft, tender kisses and gentle, gentle hold on him was knee-weakening and equally addictive. Louis was getting hard, from soft, soft lips and an almost-innocent cradling of his small body in big arms.

 

Harry smelled lovely, like musty leaves and fresh blue skies and Louis nosed through his air to breathe it in, clutching close to rub against him suggestively. Harry seemed to be intent to pleasure him, laying Louis on the bed to crawl between his thighs and if Louis had any doubts about Harry's expertise, they would have been melted the second Harry's lips wrapped around him and tentatively sucked.

 

Louis closed his eyes and threw his head back with a groan, grasping the covers under him with clawing fingertips, fighting his hips to push down, down, trying so incredibly hard not to thrust the way he wanted to. Harry's lips were incredible, soft and hard somehow, his mouthing strokes experimental and twice as alluring from his inexperience. Louis would take this treatment over a skilled blow any day. Harry had never done this, Louis was his first. He'd never felt able to do this, never felt confident to and-

 

Louis couldn't stop the rise of his hips from the bed, pushing him down Harry's cheek toward his throat as a pained groan ripped from his lips and he tried to close his eyes from the sight that caused it but he was paralysed, eyes wide open to catch the view again of Harry's tail twitching excitedly of its own accord.

 

The only reason he could see at all was because Harry's shoulders were low, forearms rested on the bed between his thighs and his butt was up, tail visible if Louis craned his neck up which-

 

Well, he was about to come the hardest he'd ever come in his life and he owed it to himself to watch the way Harry's beautiful body reacted to him, to how he moaned and cried out. He wanted Harry to enjoy this, to feel excited. He deserved it.

 

He checked that Harry was okay, saw tears escaping the edges of his eyes which he brushed away as Harry took him deep, deeper and tighter into his mouth.

 

"Pretty...I can't-I can't hold on much longer, okay?" He breathed, running his fingers into Harry's beautiful mess of hair and letting his fingers collide gently with his ears and antlers as they worked through the mass, curling around his animal parts resolutely as his hips began to arch up rhythmically, the gentlest urgency to that movement as he gasped.

 

"You have to-Haz," he choked out, his climax chasing down his body and behind his eyes with sparkling warming. "You have to move away, pretty...don't try to-"

 

Louis grasped tender fingers around furry ears with firm insistence to anchor himself as his body finally gave way, his orgasm pushing hard and fast through his body to spurt his come heavily out since Harry hadn't listened to him to pull away. Louis was emptying onto his lips where Harry belatedly drew back, lips parting with confusion over the bitter taste of come releasing from Louis' body.

 

Louis was breathless, half-smiling, half groaning trying not to laugh at the pure look of confusion and distaste on Harry's face as he wiped at his lips.

 

"Oh, beautiful," Louis leaned up to bring Harry on top of him, rolling over to put Harry back on the bed to kiss him, licking away the bad taste of his seed.

 

Harry kissed him back while folding his arms around Louis' shoulders, whining needily as Louis leaned between his thighs and brushed Harry's hardness that was so far unspent. Louis blinked long lashes over his blue-grey eyes, nipping kisses from Harry's pouted lips.

 

"Do you want to go on top this time, pretty?" Louis asked, reverent in the way he gazed at his boyfriend.

 

Harry blinked up at him, lips parted as Louis kissed over his face, biting marks into his jaw which Harry whimpered at, rutting up to gain frication from Louis' little body leaning into his.

 

When Louis paused and looked back into his beautiful face for an answer, Harry shook his head quickly with a blush.

 

"You sure?" Louis blew on one of his fawn ears to watch it react to the soft tickle of his breath.

 

Harry swallowed.

 

"Yours..." he husked lowly.

 

Louis smiled, thumbing his cheek.

 

"I can be yours, too," he offered in a murmur.

 

Harry was breathless with the idea of it, had never considered being inside Louis before. He'd just assumed...he liked being Louis', he liked being underneath him, liked riding him. And now Louis was offering to let Harry own him. And Harry wondered if Louis needed that, too. Maybe he needed Harry to own him to prove he belonged to him the same way Harry belonged to Louis.

 

He'd never done that before though, never made love to anybody. Never filled someone with his body with a view to pleasing them. He wasn't sure he'd be very successful. But he was hard. And he needed Louis. And he could just ask Louis to wrap a hand around him and stroke until he shot over them both but-

 

Louis was jealous. Of Adam. Of a guy Harry just met who meant nothing by comparison. Nobody ever would. Louis was his love. His first lover, his first boyfriend and his world. And maybe this was a good way of Harry showing him since he didn't have fancy words and fancy gifts or any other way to impress his beau.

 

Louis was back underneath him on the bed as he reached for lube, shaky hands being guided by Louis' gentle hands and actually Louis reversed them so he was sitting in Harry's lap, laying against his chest so Harry could finger him more easily, hear Louis' noises and see his eyes change colour.

 

Louis didn't ride him though, he crawled onto the bed front-first and tucked up his behind, resting his weight to his forearms as Harry hovered behind him, curling arms around Louis' waist as he curled to spoon him lovingly.

 

Harry found it tricky at first, pushing within him, within the tight ring of muscle at Louis' hole but he persisted with Louis' patient reassurances and soon he was filling Louis up with slow tenderness, his heat running down the tightness of Louis' body until he couldn't reach further within and Louis keened slightly into the bed with a choke of pleasure that made Harry feel breathless.

 

"Harry...yes," Louis breathed and Harry could only ease out and sink back in deep, fingers clutching lightly at Louis' belly as he did so, still close to him, his chest against Louis' back as he kissed into Louis' neck sweetly.

 

Louis was muttering things like 'so big...so, so beautiful' as Harry worked up to a rhythm, kind of overwhelmed at the feeling of being within him and Harry knew he was a big guy, Louis had told him once in sexy whispers when he'd stroked him to ecstasy but he didn't truly understand until he felt the way Louis was stretching around him, until he saw how he didn't quite fit into Louis' body completely.

 

He pressed a thumb against his butt cheek to watch himself disappear into him, pressed a little more weight from his arm to Louis' body and when Louis helplessly cried out, Harry felt something inside him burn through his belly, hot and wanton.

 

He wanted Louis, wanted to show him in this most basic way that nobody else would do, nobody else would ever have him like this because he was Louis', wholly and completely, heart and soul.

 

Louis fell forward on the bed and Harry slipped out, having to re-align himself as he pressed against his back, pushing him into the bed as he re-filled him and this time it was darker and sweeter all at once. Louis was tighter if that was possible but Harry could go deeper, somehow, could push at his thighs and find an extra inch to spare, could run his hand across his butt-cheek and up his spine, fingers tickling into his sensitive skin which made Louis shiver in his submission.

 

"I'm yours," Louis breathed out weakly, completely given up to sensation and Harry wondered if this was why Louis didn't usually take and why he usually gave. Was it because he was vulnerable this way, so needy and easy to sink into?

 

Louis was taking him with extra-loud yelps and squirming in Harry's arms but it was all pleasured, all soundful and sexy and tenderness in the most intense sense possible.

 

"Deeper," Louis begged, forehead pressed to his arm. "Please, Harry, all of you..."

 

Harry was already nicely deep and tight within, was already filling Louis with most of his size but he was going so slow it was making Louis fall apart with each slow thrust and every loving kiss to his temple or shoulders. Harry sort-of knew what Louis wanted and he didn't know that he could give it, really. He'd never been a guy to be forceful, he'd never felt the urge to 'fuck hard' and he guessed that's what Louis wanted now, wanted him to do. His breath stuttered a little as Louis pushed back with a mindless moan.

 

"Can't Lou...I can't," he beseeched, kissing his skin with strong lips, fingers at his belly still while he rested his weight on his other arm.

 

"You can," Louis assured. "God Harry this is too much..." he croaked out.

 

Harry transferred the rest of his weight from his bracing arm towards the centre of his body, pushing Louis a little harder into the mattress. He cupped tender hands around Louis' hips and experimentally thrusted, gasping as he found he sank completely into Louis at last and-

 

Louis was hitting the mattress with a weak fist, eyes clenched shut and breath heavy and pained with pleasured cries, unable to form words and reduced to whines to convey his emotions. Harry finished him in the best way possible, sinking deep as Louis came for a second time, slower this time but no less hard. Harry was deep inside Louis when his own climax reigned and he was gasping out confusedly as he spurted in Louis' ass, still filling Louis completely.

 

Harry curled his arms around Louis' body gently as his breaths struggled to return to normal and he didn't want to let go for anything right now, he needed to know that Louis was okay, that _this_ was okay.

 

A few moments of awed silence reigned until Louis husked out;

 

"We are _never_ doing that again..."

 

And Harry leaned back easing out of Louis' body to watch Louis roll over, a hurt look on his face.

 

"Was I bad?"

 

Louis cupped Harry's face with the biggest grin Harry had maybe ever seen on him.

 

"Bad? Harry-" he opened his mouth the describe what he'd just felt, what having Harry make love to him had done to him. All but destroyed him pretty much. "Harry, it was really, really good," he assured huskily.

 

Harry swallowed with a frown.

 

"Really?"

 

Louis nodded, kissing his lips at last.

 

"Because I've never done that before and I wasn't sure-"

 

"You're amazing," Louis cut in and he'd said that a few times but Harry had never truly believed it. Until maybe now. Because Louis' cheeks were flushed and his eyes were bright and his lips were sore from kissing and if Harry dragged the backs of his fingers down Louis' tummy then he'd curl and hum in a way that Harry was in love with.

 

"Come here," Louis added, grabbing Harry around the shoulders to pull him in. "We're not leaving this bed," he gave Harry notice of that intention.

 

"We're driving back tomorrow," he reminded. "We have the final group breakfast to go to..."

 

Louis made a loud noise of dissent and tightened his arms.

 

"Then good luck to the rest of the table because my PDA is going to be obscene..."

 

Harry giggled at him, his ears flicking at that.

 

"Louis, you can't be obscene at breakfast with me," he grinned.

 

"Is Adam coming?" Louis checked.

 

Harry shook his head.

 

"We exchanged numbers. He has to work in the spa tomorrow..."

 

Louis nodded, kissing Harry's curls.

 

"It's okay that I'm friends with him isn't it?" Harry checked.

 

"Hmm-mm," Louis nodded, rubbing his back a little.

 

"I'll always be yours, Louis..."

 

"I know, Pipkin."

 

"I feel safe with you," Harry explained.

 

"I'm glad," Louis smiled secretly to himself. "I'll keep you safe forever, beautiful."

 

"Forever?" Harry repeated, having heard Louis mention a long-term before but-

 

Well, did Louis mean it?

 

"Hmm," Louis nodded, squeezing him tighter. "Mine, now., Not letting you go..."

 

"Please don't," Harry agreed sweetly, voice soft and deep.

 

"Get some sleep, Pipkin, we have to make nice tomorrow," he sighed. "Although I'm all for sleeping in with you and sneaking out when everyone else has left..."

 

Harry tutted his teasing and they nestled down to sleep until the sun rose way too soon for the morning after.

 

//

 

Louis made Harry sit in his lap. He secured his arms around his waist and ate completely normally, making conversation about serious medical things and jokey other things while Harry just concentrated on eating.

 

It was a hard task. Louis was so good-looking. And being so close to him, all Harry could smell was the sweet scent of the hotel's vanilla shampoo mixed in with the soap they'd used in the shower. And all he could feel was warmth. Louis' body heat, his strong press of muscle no matter how much smaller his form was. Harry was surrounded by thighs and arms and his back nestled against Louis' chest for god's sake. He swallowed a little hard to avoid a whine and choked a bit on his croissant.

 

Louis rubbed his back.

 

"You okay there, pretty?" He checked.

 

Harry blushed at the nick-name in front of these people and Louis raised his brows in realisation, lowering his voice.

 

"Sorry, am I embarrassing you again?" He mused.

 

Harry twisted to kiss him, small sweet kisses that maybe said a lot more than any of his words did.

 

"Ah, you're besotted with me," Louis teased, voice still low. "I can sympathise..."

 

Harry shifted him his lap, nosing at his jaw as if asking to be released.

 

"Not a chance in hell," Louis murmured in his ear with a crinkled smile and it looked like he was whispering sweet nothings.

 

"Louis, you're very enamoured with your fawn," Dr, Horatio Malpath commented out loud and Louis turned to him with a distracted,

 

"Hm?"

 

"Tell me how does it work, an inter-breed relationship?"

 

Louis' smile crystallised and his arms tightened on Harry's waist just enough to have Harry hurrying to answer the question.

 

"It works like any other relationship," Harry said and one of the wives- Ellen- smiled at him with a nod.

 

"Horatio, what a silly question, of course it's no different," she scalded her husband lightly.

 

Horatio sat back thoughtfully.

 

"Well, it's very different physically speaking for a start," he said with genuine interest as opposed to judgement or disdain.

 

And Harry's ears were skipping about in glee at being in Louis' lap not to mention his antlers had split now, although had stopped growing since the ends had thinned out to points. He'd have to get them filed. Adam had explained all that. It was so he didn't hurt anyone accidentally and considering he spent most of his sleeping hours with Louis, he didn't want to hurt him accidentally in his sleep.

 

Louis nodded, reaching for his tea to sip it.

 

"It's different." he allowed. "Not exactly a big deal though..."

 

"Doesn't Harry have a tail?" Horatio enquired curiously and-

 

Well maybe he shouldn't have asked that question, Harry considered with a frown. Louis was a little over-protective about his tail and any comments against it. The same pretty much went for his ears and antlers but since Harry had the hardest time accepting his tail, Louis had kind of...well, he'd made a point of loving it so beautifully that Harry was in love with him even more for it.

 

"You can ask him yourself," Louis said.

 

Horatio looked to Harry.

 

"You have a tail, right?"

 

Harry nodded.

 

"Like a deer?"

 

Harry nodded again.

 

"Is it...awkward?" Horatio posed.

 

Ellen rolled her eyes and shook her head at her husband's questioning.

 

"Honestly honey, this isn't what they expected to discuss over breakfast, I'm sure..."

 

"It's a medical lecture about hybrid genealogy, I'm sure it's not out of Louis' realm to discuss the physical aspects of a hybrid fawn, particularly as he is dating one..." Horatio mused.

 

Harry kissed above Louis' eyebrow, one arm around his shoulders keeping him balanced on his knee and the other discarding his pastry in favour of thumbing his boyfriend's cheek.

 

"It's not awkward for me to be with Louis if that's what you mean," Harry offered sweetly.

 

"But is it awkward for Louis to be with you?" Horatio batted back.

 

Harry stiffened, much like Louis beneath him who had yet to speak. Only Harry was determined to speak for Louis this time, to prove to Louis he trusted how he felt about him.

 

"Louis loves me," Harry said. "And I love him. There's nothing awkward about that."

 

Louis settled his tea cup down with a clatter, lips pressed tersely together which Harry quickly kissed upon, using his famous 'cute' trick to make Louis' smile, to make him melt which he managed to do quite easily.

 

"Isn't it like-"

 

"That's enough," Louis' voice suddenly cut into the air, strong and firm. "We don't want to answer any more questions," he added softly after when Harry nosed at his jaw to soothe him.

 

Louis frowned and looked down, his long lashes batted over his eyes.

 

"We can all see you're in love," Ellen assured. "And it's beautiful to see," she added.

 

Louis nodded his appreciation for her comment, looking right back at Harry who he curled that little bit closer to kiss him for a gentle moment.

 

"I love you Hazel-rah," Harry whispered.

 

"I love you too, Pipkin..."

 

"Then let's get out of here?" Harry suggested with the tiniest smile and dimples that would have persuaded a monk to give up his vows.

 

Louis Eskimo-kissed kissed him.

 

"Great idea, beautiful," he agreed, standing up.

 

"It was lovely to meet you all," Harry saluted his goodbye as Louis called his parting words to the table and Harry never left his side as they collected their bags and made their way back home.

 

//

 

Anna was painting Harry's nails with 'Blue Skies' because she said the colour matched Louis' eyes.

 

Harry wasn't sure he liked the idea of being seen in public looking quite so whipped but where Anna was concerned he couldn't really say no, unless he had to for the greater good in which case he could say no quite easily.

 

Jason slept easily in the harness against his chest and he gave himself up to being 'pampered' as Anna put it. He didn't get why she got to have purple nails and he had to suffer with blue.

 

No doubt Louis would find this addition completely normal just like every other girly thing Anna forced upon him- usually lipstick or hair braids.

 

"Hey rug rats!" Louis called as he came in early from work, sweeping down to kiss Anna's hair and Jason's before sitting beside Harry to kiss him for a longer moment on the lips.

 

"Eww, Uncle _Louis_ ," Anna complained.

 

"What is it, petal?"

 

"Can you stop kissing Uncle Harry for five minutes while I finish his nails?" She begged.

 

"I only just got home," Louis put his hands up in surrender. "How am I _always_ kissing him?"

 

"Because you are," she huffed and-well, she may have a point, Louis conceded.

 

Louis leaned over Harry's shoulder to check the work so far and he smiled slowly, crinkled eyes meeting Harry's uncertain ones.

 

"I like it," he assured.

 

Harry arched a brow.

 

"You do?"

 

"It's the colour of my eyes," Louis noted accurately. "Nice choice, pretty."

 

"Not my choice!" Harry called as Louis headed down the hall to get changed and Louis laughed as he went.

 

Anna was concentrating very hard on painting.

 

"He must love you very much, Uncle Harry," Anna commented.

 

Harry smiled fondly. "I love your Uncle Louis very much, too," he offered.

 

"He didn't smile a lot before he met you," she shared and-

 

Well, Harry had never been told this.

 

"He didn't?"

 

She shook her head.

 

"He brought a boy round once I think his name was Michael like the angel and he didn't make Uncle Louis smile the way he smiles with you..."

 

Harry grinned inanely.

 

"And he didn't used to kiss him loads, either," she added proudly with a 'so there' kind of voice.

 

"I'm glad to hear it," Harry smirked.

 

She frowned, tilting her head as she finished up.

 

"Will you ever stop kissing Uncle Louis?" She wondered.

 

Harry shook his head.

 

"What if you don't want to anymore? Will he be sad after?"

 

Harry leaned forward and pressed a kissed to Anna's forehead.

 

"I'll always want to kiss him, Anna, you don't have to worry about that..."

 

"Good because Uncle Louis is the coolest and he should be kissed lots," she decided.

 

"But you hate us kissing," Harry chuckled.

 

She shook her head. "Uncle Louis always kisses you," she explained slowly like she was talking to a stupid person. "It gets boring," she rolled her eyes. "But when _you_ kiss _Uncle_ _Louis_...he does this silly smile and I like it," she decided.

 

Harry differentiated between Louis kissing him and him kissing Louis.

 

"So I need to kiss Louis more?" He checked and she nodded largely just the once.

 

"Adults are _such_ hard work," she sighed and flounced off to drag Louis out of the bedroom even though he was pulling on socks.

 

"Come on Uncle Louis, mummy will be here soon..." she whined.

 

Harry unfastened his harness to bring Jason into his elbow-crease, smiling as Anna dragged Louis over. Harry winked at her and made a point of kissing Louis, sweetly, right on the mouth.

 

Louis looked at them each in turn.

 

"What is this?" He asked suspiciously.

 

"He didn't smile yet, do it again," Anna stage-whispered to Harry and Harry happily complied, his fawn-ears flicking to assist his attack.

 

This time when Louis pulled back he was softer-looking and the edges of his lips were arguably curved.

 

"See!" Anna cried, tugging on Louis' arm as she jumped up and down. "He does that silly smile!"

 

Louis frowned down at his niece with an admonishing 'hey', but he didn't deny he was silly-in-love with Harry for one moment.

 

"Apparently I need to kiss you more," Harry divulged.

 

Anna nodded.

 

"Uncle Louis, you kiss Uncle Harry so much he doesn't even get a chance to kiss you back..."

 

"Well, your Uncle Harry is simply too gorgeous not to kiss so how am I supposed to stop?" Louis wondered, bending to pick his niece up to kiss her instead.

 

"Try," she pressed a finger to his lips which he pretended to chomp on to make her giggle.

 

"Come here then, cutie," Louis invited, wrapping his free arm around Harry's waist.

 

"Not in front of the-"

 

It was too late, Louis was kissing him and Harry was kissing him back. A knock on the front door reminded them a collection was taking place. When the two small people had left the building Louis closed the door and walked into Harry's open arms.

 

"It's almost like their ours sometimes," he mused.

 

Harry swallowed, kissing Louis' lips softly.

 

"I know..."

 

"I hate seeing them go back..."

 

"Me too..."

 

Louis frowned, biting at his lip.

 

"Would you-Have you ever thought about us having some of our own?"

 

"We talked about it, remember?" Harry husked.

 

Louis nodded. "You didn't want baby Harry's with ears and tails," he remembered sadly.

 

Harry cleared his throat.

 

"I might be persuaded..."

 

Louis looked up, eyes bright.

 

"Really?"

 

Harry nodded.

 

"We could find a surrogate and have it done properly, like a mixture of both of ours and a donor egg..."

 

Harry smiled softly.

 

"Is it too soon?" Louis wondered.

 

"No," Harry admitted.

 

"But you're only nineteen and-"

 

"And I've wanted to marry you since the first time you held me," Harry mused.

 

Louis gazed at him.

 

"I've been waiting for the right moment to ask..."

 

Harry made a bemused face.

 

"Louis, please don't-"

 

"Wait, I need your ring..." he gasped, running into the hallway and Harry could hear a rooting around before Louis ran back, quickly getting to his knee.

 

"Lou," he sucked in air, wanting to get down with him but Louis pushed him up, a hand to Harry's chest.

 

"Wait, I haven't asked yet," Louis said. "You can get down here afterward..."

 

Harry began to shake, his nerves never far from his surface of human-cool but then Louis didn't seem to mind it. His Louis. And now he was asking him...asking him the most important question in the world.

 

"Harry Styles...beautiful," he added with a warm smile. "You're incredible and I can't live my life without you. So...if you fancy it...I'd love to spend the rest of my life with you and so I'm asking you-" he swallowed heavily. "I'm asking you if you'll marry me?" he cast out nervously. "You can see the ring first if you-"

 

Louis was knocked back onto both knees with the heavy incoming armful of Harry who'd descended to the floor a little more harshly than Louis expected.

 

"Yes...god, Louis! Yes, okay? I don't care about the ring, I just-"

 

Louis pulled away, holding the box between them with shaky hands. Harry distractedly kissed at his lips and Louis giggled, flipping the box open. It revealed a large mint-green diamond in the centre of a silver band and two sets of heart-shaped banks of white diamonds either side of the gratuitous centre-piece stone.

 

Harry was open-mouthed at it.

 

"It's too big isn't it?" Louis chewed his lip worriedly. "Look, you don't have to wear this one, we can find something else-"

 

Harry was tearing up and Louis was stopped from speaking by the press of his finger upon his lips. Harry touched the box and then his finger. Louis knew what he meant and took the ring out to slip it on his left hand.

 

Harry gazed at it for a long, emotional moment.

 

"It's green like my eyes..."

 

"But never as beautiful," Louis quipped hopefully.

 

Harry met his gaze and kissed him again messily, crushing him close.

 

"I'm making love to you now," he husked and-well if Louis had a complaint to that he didn't voice it.

 

//

**EPILOGUE**

 

The little boy with conker brown hair and a tufty fringe and blue grey eyes just like his Dad's was squished down the back of the sofa.

 

The position between the furniture and the wall was perfect for hiding and he was so frightened he had to try and find the hardest place to be found. Thunder was booming loudly outside the window and it was getting closer, he could tell by the earth shattering crack that followed the ominous noise.

 

"Josh I'm not even joking,  where are you? "

 

The boy heard his Daddy's call and his breath quickened. He sounded mad. Daddy was never mad.

 

"Look buddy I can't save you if I don't know where you are..."

 

The wailing pitch of upset baby cries filled the air and Josh rolled his eyes. Stupid sister.  Crying again. 

 

If Maddie didn't have curly brown hair and big green eyes like Daddy then he might even doubt she was related.   _He_  never cried like that. He was a good boy. Daddy told him so.

 

Another loud rumble overtook Maddie's cries and Josh trembled. 

 

Daddy was muttering not far away because Josh could make out some words if he listened _really_ hard. 

 

"Do you know where your brother is pretty? You think he's hiding out? Not much fun in a storm all on your own is it..." Harry murmured as he changed Maddie's nappy expertly.  "Hey look at you,  all clean and gorgeous, " Harry nuzzled his daughter sweetly to settle her tears.

 

He kissed them away and scooped her back up against his chest with one arm, her miniature fawn ears brushing his skin.

 

"One of you had to get my hair and ears," he supposed out loud, eyeing the still growing ringlets of his daughter. 

 

Thunder presented again followed quickly by a whipping crackle that made Harry sigh.  Poor Louis, he was driving home in this and Harry only prayed that he'd stay safe. 

 

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud;

 

"Daaaddy!" 

 

And Harry strode for the sofa from where he'd changed Maddie's nappy in the chair and he pulled it away to find Josh's quivering form.

 

"Hey, come here, " Harry knelt quickly to hug him while toting Maddie who slept fidgeting on his shoulder. "Daddy's here, " Harry soothed as he pulled both his children to his chest and held them gently pressing kisses to each of their heads.

 

"Dad won't be long now okay?" He hummed, rising with his arms full to find the TV remote and using his toe to switch it on.

 

Annoying tinny music played out and both his kids cringed closer to him so he grabbed the control and settled on Colombo. At least it was a nice soothing sound of mostly male voices.

 

Josh settled against his other shoulder as Maddie sucked her thumb and Harry checked the time again worriedly.

 

"Come on Louis," he hummed. "We miss you..."

 

The sound of the front door opening startled Josh who thought more thunder was occurring and that it had actually broken into the house this time and Harry wasn't even off the sofa before Josh slipped from his lap and raced into the hall. 

 

Harry followed more slowly and the sight there made him breathless.  Louis was completely soaked through in his jeans and jumper, one knee to the floor as Josh hugged small arms around his neck. 

 

"...Well I'm glad you remembered I'm scared of storms Joshy because your hug is making me feel so much better..." Louis was saying to the young boy. 

 

"Maddie isn't even scared she just cried because she needed her nappy changed and why doesn't Daddy hate storms too?" Josh wondered.

 

Louis smiled up at his husband,  his wet hair dark and spiking messily off his scalp.  His skin was a sheen with raindrops his lips pink as he licked at them. Harry thought his eyes had grown more beautiful; they were even deeper now and bore more crinkles. 

 

"Hi," Louis offered as he picked up Josh when he stood despite his wet state. He knew better than to chastise his son. He wanted to hold Josh as long as the boy wanted to hold him.

 

"Hey," Harry smiled moving toward his partner slowly.  "Got caught in the rain?" He enquired.

 

Louis nodded with a sheepish smile. "Forgot something from the hospital and had to go back, " he admitted.  "Fell over," he added showcasing his grazed forearm and ripped trousers. 

 

Harry frowned and pouted stroking Josh's hair as he reached Louis finally and gently brought him close with his free arm curled around his waist. 

 

Harry kissed his temple and cheek sweetly taking in Louis' handsome -and wet- features. 

 

"We missed you," he smiled.

 

Louis' eyes softened and he smiled widely back. 

 

"I missed you too...so much," he promised and Harry had to kiss him really. 

 

It might be a daily ritual but it never got tired.

 

"Dad, can I go change while you're kissing Daddy?" Josh appealed from Louis' arm.

 

Louis reached down to release his son,  laying kisses into the sleeping Maddie's hair.

 

"Naptime?" He suggested with a brow arch to Harry. 

 

Harry smiled and nodded putting Maddie down to sleep while Josh entertained himself in his room while the storm calmed down outside. 

 

Harry found Louis wet and warm from the shower,  pulled into his strong arms and pressed back into the wall behind him as his husband quickly took control of their foreplay

 

Harry still loved that about him that Louis still wanted him and made it clear in these ways that couldn't be doubted. 

 

Harry whimpered as Louis' kisses got harder as his touch became fevered and Louis was soon undressing him and whipping off his own wet towel to even the playing field. 

 

Louis went down to his knees to kiss Harry's behind, tongue shooting deep in him followed by lubed fingers when Harry begged for it.

 

And Harry automatically crossed his wrists in the small of his back so that Louis would take them in his hand as he pushed inside and it was just as epic as the first time they'd done this now and every time since. 

 

"Louis," Harry panted, weakening to being filled and held so beautifully.  "Yes, deeper, " he called and-

 

Harry could do that now could ask for more -or less-, could ask for hard or play. He could trust Louis with any command and Louis never failed to take care of him even now.

 

If Harry asked Louis what he contributed-and he often did in their post sex cuddle-Louis would squeeze him really tight and whisper "you Harry.  You're so beautiful,." And Harry still didn't know what that really meant four years later but all that he knew was that by the way Louis held him it didn't matter.

 

Louis was thrusting tight and hard inside him, hips rhythmic with the low grumblings of the retreating storm. Harry had trouble catching his breath as Louis fucked him sweetly and thoroughly against the wall.

 

Louis was claiming him as Harry dutifully whimpered "yours" as Louis strikes became more carnal.

 

Louis was never rough never hard or grinding in the painful sense but Harry didn't for one second doubt his passion and it was Louis' lovely worshipping hands and slow meaningful kisses that had him reaching his peak every time.

 

He'd lost count how many times he'd come on this wall. Louis spilled inside him deep and hot and he writhed a little at the sensation of being filled.

 

Louis was kissing his shoulders pressing Harry's hands flat against the wall under his own and refusing to let his semen escape. 

 

"Want another baby, pretty?" Louis husked in his ear- a fast way to sexy speak for Harry who's knees became decidedly weaker.

 

"Can I make love to you again? " he asked hand splaying on Harry's belly, his own pubic bone pressing into the softness of Harry's tail. "Pretty can I take you slow and sweet from behind?"

 

Harry thought that's what they'd just been doing but he clumsily staggered to the bed and fell frontward on it, waiting for Louis small strong body to press at his from behind and Louis was easing into him after a few firm hand strokes to revive his arousal giving Harry the same attention once he was back deep inside.

 

Louis liked taking Harry on the mattress this way he even pressed his small hand around Harry's wrists and held them to the bed as he filled him slow-slow-slowly and drew out his pleasure through whimpering cries. Harry always came the hardest when Louis was gentle and they rested together breathlessly after with Harry curling into Louis protective embrace.

 

"It's our anniversary, " Louis said then kissing his temple.

 

"Hmm," Harry agreed huskily. He had a special meal planned and ready for the oven.

 

"I got you a present..." Louis added.

 

Harry belatedly checked Louis' injuries from falling.

 

"Is that what you went back for?" He asked as he sulkily ran a tender thumb over Louis' arm graze.

 

Louis nodded proudly. "Yep..."

 

"You hurt yourself, " Harry complained. Louis kissed into his hair.

 

"I know...but I found someone. .." he added tellingly and Harry looked up, ears pointing excitedly.

 

"What?"

 

After Maddie; their surrogate had left the area and finding another who was willing to consider a second line hybrid birth was always going to be tough.  Some mothers didn't like the idea of having 'an animal' growing inside them. Louis had spent the last year and a half looking. Maddie was old enough now that they could add to their brood and Harry was outrageously broody -which Louis liked to blame on his fawn heritage since deer typically had large litters but when Harry pointed out he'd been an only child Louis had decided it was just Harry. Like the way he tasted. Another amazing trait with no explanation. Harry was gazing at him barely daring to hope.

 

"Her name is Hannah and she's had three successful surrogacy's. All hybrid," Louis added.

 

Harry began kissing him strong and sweet and Louis chuckled into his mouth.

 

"Hey we'll meet her and just see how it goes yeah?" Louis hedged, always the voice if reason.

 

Harry nodded and rolled up to check on Josh in his room; who'd flaked out on his beanbag cutely and Maddie in the nursery who was fast asleep clutching her favourite Bambi toy that Anna had given her. He tiptoed back into the main bedroom and crawled into Louis' arms.

 

"I love you so much."

 

"You might change your mind when I tell you the rest of the news..." Louis smirked. Harry's ears perked cutely. "Hannah had twins for her previous pregnancies and her next pregnancy is likely to feature twins again..." Louis posed.

 

Harry's eyes grew big and teary as he kissed Louis' face.

 

"I don't mind," he smiled painfully.  "As long as they look like you..." Louis made a noise of dissent and rolled Harry beneath him.

 

They used both their sperm when fertilising eggs previously so that it was a luck of the draw as to whose features were inherited.  And Harry loved both his children equally but he missed big blue eyes blinking at him innocently and long eyelashes covering those ocean coloured orbs. He missed seeing his husband in miniature altogether now that Josh was growing up fast and becoming so like his Dad.

 

"Want them all gorgeous like you," Louis expressed as he kissed Harry into the bed. Harry didn't have the semblance to argue.

 

//THE END//


End file.
